This time, it took five points from center Jusuf Nurkic in the final 58 seconds, including the go-ahead free throw with 0.8 left, and sweating Dallas Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic’s attempt from the half court logo.
Doncic’s 38-footer fell short and the Phoenix Suns escaped the American Airlines Center with a 114-113 victory on Friday night.
The Suns improved to 8-1 overall and 7-0 in games that are within five points in the final five minutes. The Suns extended their winning streak to seven games, in the last three games Phoenix’s rival has had the ball in the final possession with the possibility of tying or taking the lead.
“A win is a win, man,” said Nurkic, who had 15 points and 10 rebounds, including a go-ahead dunk with 31 seconds left and another offensive rebound before committing the foul that sent him to the line for a score. the winner. “I really don’t care if it’s [by] a point or 35. As long as you keep winning, great, because it’s the best way to learn. Not through losses. But it’s also good for the fans. “They’re gambling, all of this, so good luck to them figuring out how we’re going to do it.”
Phoenix is tied for first place in the Western Conference with the Oklahoma City Thunder, but the two teams have taken drastically different paths to their 8-1 records. According to ESPN Research, the Suns have the second-lowest point differential of any team in NBA history that has won at least eight of its first nine games, having outscored its opponents by a total of 30 points. The Thunder are the first team to win eight of their first nine games by double-digit margins.
The 1997-98 Atlanta Hawks and 2001-02 Milwaukee Bucks are the only other teams in NBA history to record seven key wins in their first nine games of the season. The Suns have outscored their opponents by 29 points in 32 decisive minutes this season.
“We’re keeping it interesting, to say the least,” said Suns guard Tyus Jones, who had 17 points and 5 assists against the Mavericks.
“Man, it’s like we can’t avoid them right now,” Suns star Kevin Durant said of games going down to the wire. “It’s good practice for us to understand how difficult it is to play in this environment, tight away games, things like that are good for us at the beginning of the season. Playing against a team that has proven, that they have made it to the Finals. “There are also big aspirations for their team, so it was a good win for us.”
The Suns, the NBA’s worst fourth-quarter team during a disappointing 49-win campaign last season, jumped out to a double-digit first-half lead in Dallas but had to rally from a six-point deficit during the game. last quarter.
Durant finished with a team-high 26 points, highlighted by a pair of 3-pointers that helped the Suns stay within striking distance down the stretch, while Kyrie Irving (29 points) went on a scoring spree, hitting layups in three in a row. possessions. That 79-second sequence reminded Durant of the pickup games the former Brooklyn Nets teammates played against each other while he recovered from his Achilles injury during the 2020 offseason.
“It brought back a lot of memories,” Durant said. “I miss being around him, so it’s always good to compete against him.”
This was the second time this season that Durant’s Suns beat Irving’s Mavericks. Phoenix’s 114-102 home win over Dallas on Oct. 26 is the Suns’ only victory decided by more than six points.
“We don’t expect to be in these situations every game, but the more the better, to be honest,” said Durant, who leads the league with 35 key points. “Because that’s usually the way it is in the playoffs. It’s usually that way at the end of the season, when you’re trying to put yourself in a good position to qualify. So the more comfortable we get in those situations, the better it will be.” I will be.”
