The Phoenix Suns almost fell victim to a Dallas Mavericks’ statement win in their season opener but managed to erase a 22-point deficit to beat the Mavericks by 2 points, engineering a 19-point second-half deficit to win the game. Damion Lee was the hero on the night after his 11-point fourth-quarter performance
Devin Booker had a fantastic night, playing a big role in the Suns’ third-quarter success. Booker had a 28-point night as the Mavs just couldn’t answer the Suns’ flowing second-half offense. Considering the demons the Suns carried into this game after a humiliating Game 7 loss to the Mavericks in the 2022 playoffs, Booker was happy to be on the successful end of this win.
"If you get your as*es kicked, you want to get your get back."
– Devin Booker
(h/t @_Talkin_NBA)
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) October 20, 2022
“If you get your as*es kicked, you want to get your get back. That’s just life. We still have 81 games to go and I said that before the game. It was a good start for now to show our team that if we are down early, we can get back into the game. Let’s keep the momentum going into the next game.”
The Suns have made a statement that despite their tough summer, their grit and resiliency will keep them around in games even when everyone thinks they are out of it.
Can The Phoenix Suns Be Contenders?
The Phoenix Suns have largely been dismissed as contenders after their collapse against the Mavericks in the 2022 Playoffs. Considering the team also gave up a 2-0 Finals lead over the Milwaukee Bucks in 2021, many are right to be bullish about Phoenix’s ability to make it deep into the playoffs.
They have a relatively stagnant core, minus the disgruntled Jae Crowder, and have an aging Chris Paul at the helm. CP3 didn’t look the best against the Mavs, but everyone will be optimistic about his ability to work his way into a rhythm.
Booker will be the catalyst of the Suns’ success and Monty Williams will be relying on him heavily. Hopefully, Booker can succeed and continue the Suns’ regular-season track record in the last 2 seasons.
