Devin Booker and the Phoenix Suns took on the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday for the first time since the trade deadline. The Suns handled the undermanned team and finished the game with a 125-116 victory. However, it felt strange for Booker, who felt the absence of Luka Doncic when they played against the Mavericks. After their win, the four-time All-Star talked about the new-look Dallas team.
The Mavericks were the most talked-about club during the trade deadline following their acquisition of Doncic from the Los Angeles Lakers. Fans rebelled over the organization’s activities after feeling deceived by the team’s choice to split from the Slovenian sensation. Injuries took over Dallas following the transaction that brought the five-time All-Star to Hollywood.
The Mavs dealt with injuries to Dereck Lively II, Daniel Gafford and Anthony Davis. Additionally, All-Star guard Kyrie Irving suffered a season-ending ACL injury. During their recent game against Phoenix, veteran shooter Klay Thompson was the only starter who was part of the team’s initial starting lineup when the campaign started.
When asked about his thoughts on playing against the Mavericks with Doncic, Booker had this to say:
“You can feel it when we land. The vibes are low right now, but hopefully they can look back and once everybody gets healthy, on top of next season, still root on their team and root on their city,” the star guard said via The Stein Line.
The Suns’ Devin Booker on how different it felt to play the Mavericks in Dallas without Luka Dončić: “You can feel it. You can feel it when you land.”
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— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) March 9, 2025
Innumerable games have been played between Booker and Doncic. They had previously established a rivalry because they both played for Western Conference clubs, which reignited the two teams’ rivalry in the 2000s. Phoenix and Dallas, who were headed by close friends and former colleagues Dirk Nowitzki and Steve Nash, engaged in violent altercations throughout that time.
The rivalry between Booker and Doncic isn’t over, as they can still play against each other. With the 6-foot-6 point guard now playing for the Lakers, they can resume their rivalry once they play on March 16.
How did Devin Booker perform against the Mavericks?
Devin Booker and the Suns took advantage of a short-handed Dallas team on Sunday. Booker led the team in scoring with his 24 points as he shot 47.6% from the field. The former Kentucky shooting guard also added three rebounds and six assists.
So far, the Mavericks and the Suns have played three times against each other this year. Throughout that span, Booker has averaged 19.3 points, 3.3 rebounds and 7.7 assists. Unfortunately for the star, he hasn’t shot well from beyond the arc against Dallas this season, only making 13.6% of his long-range shots.
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Reign also writes NBA and WNBA news updates on Sportskeeda. He started as a feature writer for AirAlamo, an NBA website that covers the San Antonio Spurs. Some of his work can also be seen on Valley of the Suns, a Phoenix Suns-centric website, where he served as a contributing writer.
