THE Phoenix Suns edged the short-handed Dallas Mavericks, 112-107, on Wednesday night (Thursday, April 9, 2026, in PH) as Devin Booker scored 37 points, the Associated Press (AP) reported.
Dillon Brooks added 28 points for Phoenix, which secured the No. 7 spot in the Western Conference and will have two chances at home to win a play-in tournament game.
Dallas cut the deficit to 110-107 after a three-pointer by John Poulakidas with 1:08 remaining. The Mavericks had a chance to draw closer, but Oso Ighodaro blocked Moussa Cisse at the rim to halt the rally.
Brooks sealed the win with a driving layup with 13.7 seconds left.
Poulakidas, a 6-foot-5 undrafted rookie from Yale, finished with a season-high 23 points. Rookie of the Year frontrunner Cooper Flagg struggled, scoring 11 points on 4-of-19 shooting.
The Mavericks trailed by as many as 18 points early in the third quarter but mounted an 18-1 run to get back into the contest. They grabbed a 95-93 lead with 8:16 remaining after a three-pointer by Max Christie.
However, the Suns answered with a 9-0 run and did not trail again. Dallas played with just 10 available players due to injuries.
The win came at a cost for Phoenix, as guards Jalen Green (right knee) and Jordan Goodwin (left ankle) exited in the first half and did not return, although both were seen warming up at halftime. Green has been limited to 32 games this season due to injuries, primarily a hamstring issue.
Suns rookie Khaman Maluach, the No. 10 overall pick out of Duke, made his first start and grabbed a season-high 14 rebounds. The 7-foot-1 center also blocked a dunk attempt by his former college teammate Flagg in the
fourth quarter.
Elsewhere, the Orlando Magic defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves 132-120, Detroit Pistons routed Milwaukee Bucks 137-111, Cleveland Cavaliers beat Atlanta Hawks 122-116, Denver Nuggets defeated Memphis Grizzlies 136-119, San Antonio Spurs beat Portland Trail Blazers 112-101, and Oklahoma City won 128-110 against the Los Angeles Clippers. / LBG