LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — Devin Booker scored 30 points and the Phoenix Suns erased a double-digit deficit while their All-Star guard was on the bench with foul trouble, rallying for a 117-115 victory over the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday night.
The Suns have won both games in the restart after coming in with the worst record in the Western Conference. They're still long shots for the playoffs, while the Mavericks clinched their first postseason berth since 2016 by virtue of Memphis' loss to San Antonio earlier in the day.
Luka Doncic had 40 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds for the Mavericks, whose hopes of moving up from the seventh seed are fading with an 0-2 start in the eight-game seeding round.
Booked fouled out with 1:26 remaining, and the Mavericks pulled within two on a layup from Doncic. The Phoenix lead was still two in the final seconds when Kristaps Porzingis, who scored 30, barely grazed the front of the rim on a 3.
Dallas got another chance when a possession call was overturned on review with 3.3 seconds to go, but Tim Hardaway Jr.'s 3 was off the mark, leaving the Mavericks 1 of 18 from long range in the second half.
Booker had just committed his fifth foul moments after Deandre Ayton did the same earlier in the third quarter when Seth Curry's layup put Dallas ahead 81-70. But Jevon Carter and Cameron Johnson, who had 19 points and 12 rebounds, hit consecutive 3-pointers to spark the Phoenix comeback.
TIP-INS
Mavericks: Curry, who scored 16 points, set a career record for 3-pointers in a season. He went 3 of 6 from long range and has 139 3s this season. His previous high was 137 in his other season with Dallas, 2016-17. ... Dallas missed its first 14 tries from 3 in the second half, finishing 6 of 31 for the game.
Suns: Frank Kaminsky scored six of his eight points during a 14-1 run that started not long after the fifth fouls for Booker and Ayton. Phoenix turned an 81-70 deficit into an 84-82 lead with the spurt. ... Ricky Rubio had 20 points, nine rebounds and seven assists.
UP NEXT
Mavericks: Play Sacramento on Tuesday.
Suns: Play LA Clippers on Tuesday.
