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DALLAS (AP) — Luka Doncic scored 41 points, Kyrie Irving added 29 and the Dallas Mavericks beat the Phoenix Suns 123-113 on Thursday night, extending their winning streak to seven games in the return from the All-Star break for both teams.
Dallas pulled even with Phoenix in the standings at 33-23 and took the head-to-head tiebreaker with a 2-1 record in a pairing of teams battling for a guaranteed spot in the playoffs.
Doncic had 11 assists and nine rebounds matched against fellow All-Stars Devin Booker, who scored 35 points, and Kevin Durant, who had 23 on an ordinary shooting night for the 14-time All-Star. The Suns had won five of six before the break.
Dallas extended its longest winning streak of the season in the first visit from new majority owner Miriam Adelson. The widow of casino mogul Sheldon Adelson was sitting courtside. Her company, Las Vegas Sands Corp., finalized the deal with Mark Cuban in December.
Irving, who missed the first two meetings, scored 13 points in the first quarter and restored a double-digit lead early in the fourth with a nifty behind-the-back dribble and spin move for a layup.
A smiling Doncic greeted Irving when the Suns called a timeout after Irving's layup, and the star pairing provided the finishing blow when Irving passed after rising for a jumper and Doncic hit a 3-pointer.
The Mavs scored the first 16 points of the second half to finish a 33-9 run that started after the Suns took their biggest lead at 54-43 midway through the second quarter.
Tim Hardaway Jr. and P.J. Washington scored 12 points apiece for Dallas. Eric Gordon had 16 for Phoenix.
UP NEXT
Suns: At Houston on Friday night.
Mavericks: At Indiana on Sunday.
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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA
