Doncic fails the unthinkable in the new NBA classic

Was expected this game in advance. Not this week, not last week. Since the transfer period ended and Kyrie Irving went to the Mavericks and Durant went to the Suns, this was a duel marked on the calendar with colors, markers, crosses and all possible paraphernalia. We must also take into account what happened last season, that elimination in which the Arizonans succumbed in an embarrassing seventh game, which left an even more slippery slippery slope to enter such terrain. An electric shock that, if we see that aspect, did not disappoint anyone.

The Suns took the win from the American Airlines Center in Dallas by 126-130. The confrontation left the two protagonists of the market, Irving (30) and Durant (37), serving as companions to those who already owned the franchises: Doncic (34) and Booker (36). These last two ended up colliding everything that the others did not, who maintain a good relationship despite the fact that the experience of the Nets was one of the great disappointments of recent years in the NBA. A scandalous quartet that brings shine to the Western Conference, in which both want to improve what they have done in the last two years -Dallas, runner-up in 2022; Phoenix, champion in 2021- with the new pieces obtained. The balance of the Texans with Kyrie is once again in question after another defeat, of course, because the numbers are beginning to pick up volume and worry the fans mav.

In it last section After the meeting, the contest was resolved and with little that favored Doncic. The Slovenian genius tried to equalize in an action in which he physically forced the defender, who fell to the ground under the ring, and missed a very close layup with no opposition that left him with an unfriendly face. There he provoked Devin Booker, eager to confront the opponent, and Luka lost his nerve going for the head of the Suns. A bit of a show, since blood did not reach the river, to add one more chilli pepper to this confrontation, which is tied at two in total.

Kevin Durant opened the contest knowing attraction. Of the visitors’ 31 points in the opening quarter, he contributed almost a third, now reaching ten. After that first half, the clash began to take on the color of last Sunday, the comeback of the Lakers in that same scenario of Sunday afternoon Dallas, with Tim Hardaway’s triple streak. Phoenix had to be countered. Doncic, after starting 1/7 shooting, returned from a special locker room massage on his left leg. I can play, he seemed to say with a triple as soon as he stepped on the court. A small advantage illuminated Kidd’s team at halftime with all the fish to sell.

As the minutes passed, Monty Williams gave Wainright confidence, who ended up paired with Doncic when others like Ross or Booker avoided him. And that also ended up being key. Kyrie’s conjuring actions and Doncic’s usual livelihood were what fed the locals, lacking that polyhedral sense that the Suns do have.

Chris Paul once again refused the direction of his team in favor of a higher pace. In the background he makes those in the first shine, as in all the appointments in which Durant has already been available, and what a delight for them. A 0-9 triple triple and with Doncic falling into the trap of the foul in attack was the daca of the take so that everything would be balanced at the end of the third period. Nine points of Wood’s 17, an underdog in the rotation by Morris, put the Mavs ahead again. And they were already decisive minutes of an evening without rest. However, little of it would be worth to win.

The final stretch had Wainright hitting an important 3-pointer with non-existent defense from Doncic. Too much room for an outside NBA player, he was on his own and there were two minutes left. Paul and Durant had already punished the Mavs defense from the outside before, but there it hurt because the visitors took two distance with so little time to react. Following, two free throws from Luka to balance. Ayton, who had only scored in the first six minutes of the game, tapped a ball back to put his team back in the lead. Powell dropped a alley-oop half a minute from the end of regulation time and everything was heating up. A shot from Durant, with the defender’s hand on top and from a distance, with KD’s personal best on and off, almost completely hit Dallas. The replica belonged to Luka Doncic. The man from Ljubljana threw the defender to the ground with his left arm, perhaps pressing more than necessary to protect himself, and he was willing to shoot to tie, or so he would have liked. The short shot licked the rim and the ball went wide. Booker claimed something looking at the referee with the victim listening and Doncic went to bump his head against that of the Suns, with a smile on but wanting to show himself redone from such a mistake.