NBA: Suns secure No. 7 seed in West with win over Mavs

Devin Booker scored 37 points and handed out nine assists, while Dillon Brooks added 28 points, including a late layup, as the Phoenix Suns held off the Dallas Mavericks 112-107 on Wednesday to secure the seventh seed in the Western Conference playoffs.

Royce O'Neale contributed 14 points and reserve Collin Gillespie added 13 for the Suns (44-36), who overcame a fourth-quarter deficit after losing an 18-point lead in their final regular-season home game.

Phoenix will open the play-in round on Tuesday at home against either the Los Angeles Clippers or the Portland Trail Blazers. The Clippers (41-38) currently hold a 1½-game lead over Portland (40-40) for the eighth seed, with two games remaining in the regular season.

For Dallas (25-55), John Poulakidas set a career high with 23 points, hitting five 3-pointers, and Marvin Bagley III added 20 points. The Mavericks have lost 10 of their last 12 games.

Rookie Cooper Flagg had 11 points, 13 rebounds, and six assists, boosting his Rookie of the Year case. Flagg is in a two-man race with former Duke teammate Kon Knueppel of the Charlotte Hornets.

The Suns held an 18-point lead early in the second half, but the Mavericks closed the gap with a 16-0 run and briefly took a 95-93 lead on Max Christie's 3-pointer with eight minutes remaining. Christie finished with 18 points, including four 3-pointers.

Booker's 3-pointer gave Phoenix a 110-104 lead with 1:13 left, but Poulakidas quickly answered. Key defensive plays followed, including Oso Ighodaro blocking Moussa Cisse’s layup, and Brooks’ layup extended the Suns’ lead to 112-107 with 13.7 seconds remaining.

Rookie center Khaman Maluach recorded a career-high 14 rebounds and blocked a Flagg dunk in the fourth quarter during his first start.

O'Neale and Brooks each made four 3-pointers, while Jordan Goodwin added three, helping Phoenix shoot 14 of 35 from beyond the arc.

The Suns were without starters Jalen Green (right knee) and Goodwin (left ankle) for most of the game. Green exited in the first quarter after missing his first two field goals, while Goodwin left in the second quarter despite scoring nine points with three 3-pointers.

-Field Level Media/Reuters