The national TV ABC Showcase spotlight, saw the Phoenix Suns more than up to the task against a Dallas Mavericks team that has been a thorn in their sides since May of last year.
In a game that saw 12 ties and 13 lead changes, the Durant-Booker pairing combine for 73-points on 27-42 shooting, great efforts on the glass from Ayton (16 rebounds), timely baskets from Paul (8 points in the fourth), and an abundance of ancillary efforts - even amidst some rough shooting stretches.
We saw another game, in their early process, where they were matched with a team that can make tough shots in a similar manner to themselves, and they were again up to the collective task - while also able to earn the requisite stops needed for incremental scoreboard separation.