PHOENIX – The Phoenix Suns moved to 8-1 on the season after another win over the Dallas Mavericks tonight.

The Suns battled through inefficient scoring nights from Devin Booker and Bradley Beal, who ultimately contributed in other ways, such as playmaking.

Royce O’Neale could hardly miss, scoring 18 points while once again playing lockdown defense, which has become common for the second-year Sun this season, earning a team-best +14 in his 29 minutes on the floor. Kevin Durant, Jusuf Nurkic and Tyus Jones all scored on time at all three levels, but all three undoubtedly made their mark from behind the arc.

Most importantly, the cohesion and collective resilience of this team was on full display. Josh Okogie – making his first appearance of the season in place of Ryan Dunn – even managed to make a clear impact.

The offense continues to improve with consistent movement, an emphasis on excessive ball movement similar to Gregg Popovich-coached teams, and a clear intent/strategy. That was especially true tonight as the Suns scored 115 against the current No. 3 defense in the league, with two of the team’s top three players struggling.

They weathered the storm of Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic – Irving in particular taking over with a flurry of baskets late in the game. That was perhaps the most impressive part after losing Dunn for the game, as previously mentioned. It remains a testament to the toughness of the 1-14 squad.

This team is connected. This team is deep. This team fights on every possession. This team has multiple pieces equipped to take over a particular game. This is a team that could continue to extend the league’s second-longest winning streak for significantly longer.

The Suns will look to extend their winning streak Sunday night when they welcome the Sacramento Kings to town as Mike Budenholzer continues to build a Coach of the Year case and Durant continues to creep into the most valuable player discussions.