The Dallas Mavericks earned a 123-113 home victory over the Phoenix Suns on Thursday night. In what felt like a playoff game, Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving led the charge in Dallas' victory. It was also the Mavs' seventh consecutive win, which equals Dallas' longest win streak since the 2010-11 championship season, per Mavs PR on X (formerly Twitter).
The 2010-11 team had a 12-game winning streak and a 10-game winning streak during the regular season. Since that season, Dallas' longest win streak came in 2022-23 when the Mavs won seven games in a row. They can surpass that mark with a victory on Sunday against the Indiana Pacers.
Dirk Nowitzki, who was in attendance at the Mavs-Suns game, led the 2010-11 Mavericks. He was already regarded as a star but the championship cemented his legacy.
Kyrie Irving has already won a championship in his career, but Luka can silence critics with an NBA Finals win. Luka wants to win more than just one, but earning the first is difficult to do.
Mavericks' exciting win streak
Dallas will need to overcome the best teams in the Western Conference to even clinch an NBA Finals berth. With that being said, momentum is unquestionably on their side at the moment.
“[It’s] amazing. I think we have an amazing team and seven in a row—it hasn’t happened for a while,” Doncic said after the Mavericks' win over the Suns. “I’m really happy with the guys we have on our team.”
Head coach Jason Kidd also addressed the Mavs' current standing after the victory.
“I think it answers the question that they work. Those two [Luka Dončić and Kyrie Irving] coexist quite well,” Kidd said. “I think it just shows, again, our health, our energy, everything's in a positive way right now. We're getting great looks. Timmy [Hardaway Jr.] had a great look in the corner. Maxi [Kleber] had a great look at a layup. I think the guys are having fun. They want to win, and you can see that energy on the floor.
“Those guys are cheering for one another. There's going to be mistakes, there's going to be missed shots, but it's on to the next play. You can see that, especially after break. We were on a roll and then we go on a break. Sometimes you can come out flat, but I thought the guys did a great job tonight.”
Luka Doncic continues to make noise in MVP conversation
Doncic has somehow been overlooked in the MVP conversation for most of the year. He's beginning to receive attention, however.
Luka was excellent once again on Thursday, scoring 41 points. The Mavericks superstar added 11 assists, nine rebounds, and three steals. Doncic knew he needed to step up against a talented Suns team and he did more than enough to lead the Mavs to victory.
The Mavericks are also 16-3 when Luka records at least 40 points and 10 assists in a game, via Mavs PR. Doncic is clearly establishing himself as a legitimate MVP candidate.
“He makes the game easy,” PJ Washington Jr. said of Doncic. “He obviously draws so much attention, a lot of double teams, a lot of guys running at him, so he just makes an easy pass and pretty much a trip for everyone else. He has a unique skill set. I’ve never seen a guy like him, so obviously playing with him has been great so far for me.”
“To me, he's [Doncic] the MVP,” Daniel Gafford added, via Tim MacMahon of ESPN. “Seeing the things he does and Kyrie does, I'm just amazed. It's like I'm a kid of the candy store because I'm seeing two great players just go out and dominate.”
Kyrie also played a great game. He scored 29 points and added five rebounds, three assists, and one steal. With Luka and Kyrie continuing to develop chemistry with one another on the floor, and the entire Mavericks roster getting healthy and looking sharp, Dallas is emerging as a serious threat in the Western Conference.
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