Kevin Durant and the (33-22) Phoenix Suns fell to Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks last night. Despite last night's loss, one thing became clear while watching these two teams, they couldn't be any more similar in playoff contention.
Both teams, with recent history dating back to the 2022 Western Conference when the Mavericks defeated the Suns, find themselves in the same boat coming into Thursday's matchup.
Both teams made significant trades to improve their roster last season, with the Suns adding Kevin Durant and the Mavericks trading for Kyrie Irving. Also, both teams are just a game apart from each other in the standings, with the possibility of moving up during this final stretch of the season.
More importantly, these teams could be a nightmare matchup for anyone in the Western Conference based on the amount of roster talent.
Phoenix Suns: A Championship in the Valley?
The Suns have been close to bringing their first championship to the Valley over the past few seasons. They went to the finals back in 2021; however, they failed to beat the inevitable champs in the Milwaukee Bucks.
Since then, the team fired their head coach, Monty Williams, and hired Frank Vogel along with shipping Chris Paul to Washington for Bradley Beal.
This season, their champion expectations remain intact after a busy off-season adding key contributor and notable Bradley Beal; however, after a slow start to the season plagued by injuries, the Suns have gotten back on track, winning six of their last nine games.
Kevin Durant, who may go down as one of the greatest scorers in NBA history, continues to have a monster season. He is averaging 28.1 points per game and Booker has also shined this season, averaging 27.7 points.
A healthy Bradley Beal, who has been dealing with numerous nagging injuries this season, is key to their championship aspirations.
Beal has proven to be a big-time scorer throughout his tenure in Washington and knows what it takes to compete when it's playoff time.
The Suns have one of the deepest rosters in the league, with guys like Grayson Allen, Royce O'Neale, and Jusuf Nurkic playing crucial minutes for playoff contenders throughout their careers.
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Dallas Mavericks: Can the Stars Align?
The Mavericks have struggled to return to the Western Conference Finals despite making a trip there in 2022.
Still, Luka and the Mavs have maintained their spot in the Western Conference as a team to watch out for, and last night's win was a stern reminder.
Luka was sensational, dropping 41 points and torching the Suns, a team he continues to torment throughout his career.
Irving has continued to be solid too, dropping 29 points and maintaining his excellent play throughout the season.
Like the Suns, they're playing well at this point of the season, riding high on a seven-game winning streak.
They made some significant swings at the deadline, adding Daniel Gafford and PJ Washington from the Charlotte Hornets, which were necessary moves in reinforcing their defense; and these moves have already proven to pay off for the Mavericks.
The rookie Derrick Lively II and Dante Exum have shined as key rotational players for the Mavericks.
It's clear that whoever these two teams play come April may have their hands full, being it is likely they could match up with any of the top teams in the Western Conference come that time.
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