PHOENIX — Luka Doncic delivered an exceptional 50-point performance, along with 14 assists, guiding the Dallas Mavericks to a 128-114 win over the Phoenix Suns on Monday night. Doncic’s display capped off a day full of NBA Christmas games, with his shooting prowess on full display, going 8 of 16 from 3-point range and perfect from the free-throw line.
Doncic’s achievement was highlighted by surpassing 10,000 career points in the first quarter, reaching this milestone in just 358 career games, making him the seventh fastest in NBA history.
Dereck Lively II returned from an ankle sprain to contribute 20 points and 10 rebounds for Dallas, and Tim Hardaway Jr. added 18 points. The Mavericks have been navigating games without Kyrie Irving, who has missed nine consecutive games due to a heel injury.
For the Suns, Chimezie Metu and Grayson Allen stepped up, particularly from the bench. Allen had a remarkable third quarter, scoring 19 of his 32 points and hitting 8 of 17 from beyond the arc. Metu added 23 points and a career-high 19 rebounds, filling in the gap left by Jusuf Nurkic, who was absent due to personal reasons.
The Mavericks pulled away in the fourth quarter with a 17-4 run, compounding the Suns’ struggles, who have now lost nine of their last 12 games.
Doncic’s scintillating performance was evident from the start as he set up Lively for easy baskets and then focused on scoring himself, tallying 17 points in the first quarter. His playmaking continued in the second quarter, leading Dallas to a 64-54 halftime advantage.
The Suns, who had an offensively disjointed first half, improved their ball movement in the third quarter, briefly taking the lead on an Allen 3-pointer. However, the Mavericks regained control in the fourth quarter, extending their lead and sealing the victory with Doncic’s impressive runner in the closing seconds.
Looking ahead, the Mavericks will host Cleveland on Wednesday, while the Suns face a road game against Houston on the same day.
