Suns lead from start to finish in beating Mavericks

PHOENIX — Rookie forward Josh Jackson matched his career best with 21 points, T.J. Warren added 20 and the Phoenix Suns snapped a five-game losing streak by beating Dallas 102-88 on Wednesday night, handing the Mavericks their fifth loss in a row and eighth in nine games.

Phoenix backup point guard Isaiah Canaan broke his left ankle in a gruesome injury late in the first quarter.

Marquese Chriss added 15 points and 12 rebounds for the Suns, who beat Dallas for the fourth time in a row dating to last season.

After missing Monday night’s game in Memphis with bruised ribs, Devin Booker was back starting at point guard for Phoenix and scored 15 points.

Dennis Smith Jr. scored 17, Harrison Barnes 15 and Dirk Nowitzki 14 for the Mavericks, who shot just 36 percent.

Booker opened the game with a 3-pointer and Phoenix never relinquished the lead.

Danuel House made two 3s and Canaan and Jared Dudley one apiece in a 12-2 run that put the Suns up 35-14 with 23 seconds left in the first quarter.

The Mavericks cut it to single digits twice, once to eight points and once to nine, in the second quarter and were down 57-46 at halftime.

Phoenix dominated the third period, leading 81-58 after Troy Daniels’ 3-pointer with 2:20 left.

The Mavericks cut it to 91-84 on Smith’s 3-pointer with 3:17 to go but Booker responded with a three-point play to put Phoenix up 94-84. Dallas never got it to single digits again.

Canaan was driving to the basket when he was fouled by Wesley Matthews with three seconds left in the first quarter. Canaan’s ankle gave way on a hard, awkward landing, and his left foot was pointing in the wrong direction as his body tumbled to the floor.

As trainers rushed to Canaan, there were groans from the crowd and looks of shock from his Phoenix teammates, some of whom covered their eyes or looked away.

He was sitting up as he was rolled out of the arena on a stretcher.

Canaan, in his fifth NBA season, was signed Dec. 13 after being waived by Houston in October.

TJ Warren: Defense set the tone for #Suns win pic.twitter.com/53ISLSETu7
— FOX Sports Arizona (@FOXSPORTSAZ) February 1, 2018

TIP-INS

Mavericks: Matthews shot 2 of 17. … Nowitzki played 27 minutes and is 32 shy of becoming the sixth player in NBA history to play 50,000 minutes in the regular season. … Nowitzki’s 1,462 career points in 70 regular-season games against Phoenix are fifth-most by any player against the Suns in their history.

Suns: The 88 points scored by Dallas matched a season low for a Phoenix opponent. … The four-game winning streak over Dallas is the Suns’ longest against the Mavs since winning nine in a row from 1997-99. … Chriss missed the previous game with a sprained ankle. … The Suns set the NBA record on Monday in Memphis with a 3-pointer in their 1,109th consecutive game and made it 1,110 on Wednesday. Dallas previously held the record of 1,108.

UP NEXT

Suns: Host the Utah Jazz on Friday night.

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