Booker hits winning 3 in return as Suns edge Mav 109-108

DALLAS (AP) — Devin Booker hit a 3-pointer with 1.5 seconds left in his first game since Jan. 22 and the Phoenix Suns rallied past the Dallas Mavericks for the second straight game, winning 109-108 on Monday night.

The Suns trailed by 11 in the second half before winning their third straight, including a 111-105 victory at Dallas on Saturday when they trailed by 15 in the third quarter.

The Mavericks dropped their sixth straight, their ninth loss in their last 11 games and their fourth straight defeat at home. Luka Doncic missed a 27-foot shot at the buzzer.

Booker took a pass on the winning basket from Chris Paul, who finished with a season-high 34 points to go with nine rebounds and nine assists. Deandre Ayton had 10 points and 17 rebounds.

Doncic led the Mavericks with 25 points following a slow start in which he scored only two points in the first quarter on free throws. Josh Richardson scored a season-high 24 points and Kristaps Porzingis added 19, 14 in the second half.

Booker, an All-Star, returned to the lineup after missing four games with a left hamstring strain.

TIP-INS

Suns: Ayton scored only two points in the second half. … Phoenix has won six straight against Dallas going back to last season in the bubble.

Mavericks: The return of Maxi Kleber after missing 11 games in the health and safety protocols gave Dallas a full roster without any injury designations for the first time since Dec. 4, 2019, a span of 425 days. … Porzingis and Kleber started together for the first time this season in the Mavericks’ 12th starting lineup.

UP NEXT

Suns: End a three-game road trip at New Orleans on Wednesday. Three of the Suns’ past five games against the Pelicans have gone to overtime.

Mavericks: Visit Atlanta on Wednesday. It will pit Doncic against Hawks guard Trae Young after their rights were traded for each other in the 2018 draft. They split two meetings as rookies and haven’t faced each other since.