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    • Devin Booker and Phoenix Suns are trying to maintain a ‘sense of urgency’
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    Devin Booker and Phoenix Suns are trying to maintain a ‘sense of urgency’

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    The Phoenix Suns didn’t miss the lead in their home opener.

    After earning the advantage in their first two games, the Suns never trailed in Saturday’s 114-102 win over the Dallas Mavericks at the Footprint Center after Royce O’Neale put them ahead, 22-19, on a 3 with 2:33 left in the game. first quarter.

    “I played closer to a complete game,” Suns star guard Devin Booker said. “There was no stress when we got up early in the second quarter. This year we gave up leads. I just try to keep the sense of urgency.”

    The Suns (2-1) built a 13-point lead midway through the second quarter, but the Mavs (1-1) pulled within a point, 68-67, with 9:11 left in the third quarter.

    Phoenix responded with a 15-4 run and came back within twelve points later in the third, while Kevin Durant closed the score with five points. The Suns led by as many as 15 with 6:44 left in the game.

    “I think we missed some layups again, some in the paint, but it happens,” Mavs coach Jason Kidd said. “But I thought the boys fought to the end again and we just couldn’t get over the hump. So give Phoenix all the credit.”

    The Suns look to build on that in Monday’s rematch against the Los Angeles Lakers at the Footprint Center. The Lakers came back from a 22-point deficit on Friday in Los Angeles to stun the Suns 123-116.

    Phoenix also blew a double-digit lead in the season opener at the Los Angeles Clippers. The Suns led by as many as fourteen late in the first half, but trailed by ten in the fourth before rallying to force overtime and win, 116–113.

    They were unable to maintain their 22-point lead over the Lakers, leaving Bradley Beal unsettled afterward.

    “It’s super frustrating,” he said. “We had fifteen, twenty of them behind us. They were all confused. We had them exactly where we wanted them. They didn’t really have an answer to it. We have really become complacent.”

    The Suns had a quick turnaround, but the coaches made sure to remember that Anthony Davis and the Lakers were comfortable at the free-throw line on Friday. The Lakers attempted 39 free throws, making 29, with Davis nearly matching the Suns as a team at the end.

    Davis finished 13 of 17 on Phoenix’s 15 of 17 effort from the line.

    Twenty-four hours later it was the Suns who set up camp on the line for an extended stay.

    They went 28 of 37 while the Mavs finished 15 of 18.

    “We can’t send them to the free-throw line,” Kidd said. “You know, they shoot the ball extremely well from the free-throw line, and tonight we just couldn’t stay out of the way by fouling that way.”

    The Mavs committed 28 fouls just a day after the Suns were called for 26 fouls against the Lakers.

    “We just have to play without making mistakes,” Mavs forward Klay Thompson said. “It starts with me. Four fouls, too many.”

    Doncic went 11-for-12 from the line, which is par for the course for him. The Mavs superstar averaged a career-high 10.5 attempts two seasons ago and is averaging 10 this season.

    The same can’t be said for Booker.

    He never averaged above 7.1 in the previous nine seasons, but Booker is at a career-best 7.7 this season after matching Doncic with an 11-for-12 effort from the line Saturday.

    “Trying to get penetration to open up other opportunities for other guys,” Booker said. “That was a problem for us last year, settling for a lot of midrange and not being able to create an advantage or create a rotation. That is also a point of attention.”

    The Suns ranked sixth in free throw attempts last season at 23.4. This season, they are tied for sixth with the Toronto Raptors and the Lakers, averaging 29.3 attempts from the line.

    Do you have an opinion on the current state of the suns? Reach Suns Insider Duane Rankin at [email protected] or contact him at 480-810-5518. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, at @DuaneRankin.

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