It can be a tough adjustment for teams in their first game after the NBA All-Star break, but the Dallas Mavericks (33-23) did not look rusty whatsoever. On the contrary, they continue to play at an elite level. Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving combined for 60 points and the defense did its job in a 123-113 victory versus the Phoenix Suns (33-23).
The revamped Mavs, which include trade deadline acquisitions P.J. Washington and Daniel Gafford, have now won seven-straight games. They leap above the Suns for sixth place in the West and are breathing down the neck of the New Orleans Pelicans for fifth. Dallas showed marked improvement at the beginning of the season, but the team is finally reaching the quality of play that justifies legitimate title contention talk.
That is a wacky reality to acknowledge, considering that the Mavericks’ ceiling heavily hinges on the stability of Irving. He is pretty quiet these days, at least off the court. The 2016 NBA champion and eight-time All-Star gave a perfectly straightforward response when asked about the squad’s recent surge.
“Kyrie Irving on how the pieces have come together lately for the Mavs: ‘Feels good. Just wanna keep it up,’” the 31-year-old guard said after dropping 29 points and putting defenders on skates, per DallasBasketball.com’s Grant Afseth,
The calmness in which he answered the question might be most scary of all, though. There is no bluster or a semblance of circus-like energy surrounding Irving or the American Airlines Center. The Mavericks are a serious organization with serious postseason aspirations.
They will try to stay the course during a difficult four-game road stretch, starting with a battle against the Indiana Pacers this Sunday.
About the Author
Alex House is a sportswriter who is comfortable covering many different sports. He grew up in a New York sports-heavy region in Connecticut and earned his journalism degree at the University of Rhode Island. His in-depth knowledge of two of the most passionate and raucous fan bases in the country gives him a truly unique writing voice.
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