Suns exorcise some demons with 22-point comeback win over Mavericks, 5 months after Game 7 humiliation

On May 15, the Dallas Mavericks took a 20-plus-point lead over the Phoenix Suns with three minutes and 39 seconds left in the second quarter. On Oct. 19, the Mavericks took a 20-plus-point lead over the Suns with four minutes and 34 seconds left in the second quarter.

The results were very different.

Haunted by one of the most worst elimination blowouts in NBA history for an entire offseason, the Suns reversed the narrative in their season opener on Wednesday with a comeback win over the team that had humiliated so badly them five months ago.

The Mavericks took control of the game after a back-and-forth first quarter, leading by as many as 22 points early in the third quarter. At that point, it was hard not to wonder if the Mavericks had broken the team with the best record in the NBA last season.

The Suns finally found an answer midway through the third quarter, chopping the lead down to one point with 1:25 remaining. The Mavericks responded with another run, but the Suns, buoyed by a crowd thirsting for legitimacy as much as revenge, finally took the lead back in the final period.

The Mavericks didn't fade away — a Luka Doncic and-1 tied it with 32.8 seconds remaining — but the Suns got the win courtesy of an off-balance game-winner by recent addition Damion Lee.

At least one player not on the Suns was hyped for the win. Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry, who is related by marriage to Lee, posted a video of him screaming in celebration so loudly he woke up his kids.

One regular season win obviously does not negate a Game 7 loss, but let's face it, the Suns needed this. The NBA invited further humiliation for the Suns by scheduling the Mavericks for their season opener, and getting blown out a second time in a row would have told the league the Suns had fixed little, and might have gotten even worse considering Dallas is now without Jalen Brunson.

Instead, the Phoenix core so roundly mocked during the summer did what it needed to do. Devin Booker posted 20 points and nine rebounds and Chris Paul added another nine rebounds, while Deandre Ayton and Mikal Bridges both posted double-doubles.

The narrative of the Suns as a potential juggernaut is still gone and will remain gone until at least this year's playoffs, but you can most certainly call that a good start.