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Brief lapses doom Phoenix Suns in loss to Dallas Mavericks

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Brief lapses doom Phoenix Suns in loss to Dallas Mavericks


The Phoenix Suns played well enough in spurts to win on Thursday but lacked a full and focused effort to beat the Dallas Mavericks in a 123-113 loss.

Dallas’ star duo of Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving bested Phoenix’s. Doncic’s 41 points on 14-of-27 shooting were accompanied by Irving’s 11-of-18 shooting for 29 points. Doncic also racked up nine rebounds, 11 assists and four steals. Devin Booker’s 35 points (13-for-21), five rebounds, eight assists and four turnovers led the Suns while Kevin Durant’s 9-of-23 mark for 23 points with five rebounds, an assist and five turnovers missed the mark.

The Mavericks’ 29 points off 16 Suns turnovers were a factor as well.

Three surges by Dallas in the last two quarters that were more so poor stretches by Phoenix decided the game.

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A 15-0 Mavericks run to begin the second half epitomized the margins Phoenix has to improve within to truly become a great team. Doncic nailed three of his six triples on unguardable step-backs. He set up P.J. Washington, a below average shooter, for another. All of those are possessions the Suns can accept but they’ve got to make up for it in other ways, and the offensive end included a pair of turnovers and a missed layup.

After that, Doncic launched a 30-footer early on the shot clock as a heat check, a bailout for Phoenix to reset, only for the Suns to not grab the rebound and for that to lead to an open Josh Green 3 to put Dallas ahead by a dozen.

With those three minutes not going great for starting center Jusuf Nurkic, Suns head coach Frank Vogel smashed the emergency glass early, pulling Nurkic for Royce O’Neale. It’s the type of mid-game adjustment and rotation choice the Suns should focus on developing more over the next two months so it becomes more natural. Decisions like Thursday’s will help.

Dallas is the perfect team to do this against. It has size but not the type that will punish a smaller team, doesn’t have the good shooters Phoenix does to trade open 3s in spaced-out basketball built around the stars and lacks on-ball juice defensively to contain high-level scorers. The Mavericks have rightfully been thought of as a bad matchup for the Suns the last two years but if Phoenix was to really embrace small ball, it could turn the tables quickly.

All of these themes played out over an immediate 17-5 run led by Booker, who didn’t take a shot in the second quarter because of double-teams but suddenly had more space to maneuver. Dallas, however, found a 9-0 spurt right after.

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Nurkic returned later in the quarter for two minutes, only for Phoenix to go back to a small group at the start of the fourth quarter and remain that way the rest of the night.

Phoenix was +7 without Booker in the first half but this group headed by Durant struggled this go-around. The offense had a few dwindling possessions, with Durant’s cadence slowing things down a bit too much. It was an 8-2 advantage to Dallas.

That’s why Bradley Beal is so important for that segment of the game but he remains out due to tightness in his left hamstring. He wasn’t able to progress enough over the All-Star break to avoid nothing more than a one-game absence (that was essentially two after he played under five minutes when he got injured). Vogel also said Beal is unlikely to play in the second game of a back-to-back on Friday.

Booker could only get 2:25 of rest before coming in thanks to just two Phoenix points over that time. With Dallas now up 11, it put the Suns in a position requiring stops. They wouldn’t muster two in a row until the 3:12 mark on the clock while trailing by 12. Too late.

Add up those Dallas runs in the second half and it was a 32-2 edge in a combined game time of just 7:03.

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Eric Gordon scored 16 points starting in place of Beal. He was the only supporting cast member to make a legitimate impact. Despite how often Phoenix spent the game going small, new addition Thaddeus Young did not play, presumably because of how recent his arrival was.

Unless one of the top four teams in the Western Conference slows down and the Suns (33-23) go on an absolute tear to end the year, they are likely left fighting for two spots above the play-in amongst five different squads. That makes tiebreakers with those teams essential. Thursday’s cemented a 3-2 season series edge to Dallas (33-23).

As for the four others, Phoenix has already lost the tiebreaker to the Los Angeles Lakers (1-3) and owns it over the Golden State Warriors (3-1). Still left to be determined is a winner-take-all fixture with the Sacramento Kings (2-2) similar to Thursday and two contests remaining with the New Orleans Pelicans (1-0).

Durant reached 40 minutes and it was 39 for Booker. There will be a few regular season games that still warrant minute totals that high but Phoenix has to be cautious with the start of the postseason now visible in the distance. It plays tomorrow in Houston and it doesn’t sound like Beal will play.

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Public frustration grows as Dallas leaders debate billion‑dollar City Hall fix or relocation

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Public frustration grows as Dallas leaders debate billion‑dollar City Hall fix or relocation


Dallas City Council members spent the day hearing hours of public criticism as they weigh whether to spend roughly $1 billion to repair the aging, 50‑year‑old City Hall or pursue a plan to move out entirely. The meeting grew tense as residents voiced mistrust over the council’s motives, prompting members to suspend normal rules and allow anyone in the chamber to speak. Speakers questioned whether the push to relocate serves the public or private developers, while city staff prepared to present cost and feasibility details during what is expected to be a long evening session.



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Hip-hop hitmaker Cardi B coming to AAC in Dallas

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Hip-hop hitmaker Cardi B coming to AAC in Dallas


Cardi B, one of hip-hop’s most outsize personalities — and one of its most reliable hitmakers — is coming to Dallas.

The New York City-born rapper broke through in 2017 with the hit single “Bodak Yellow,” launching a chart-topping run that soon included “I Like It” and the blockbuster hit “WAP.” Her Grammy-winning debut album, Invasion of Privacy, cemented her as a defining voice in contemporary rap, blending brash humor, confessional storytelling and club-ready production.

The 33-year-old’s success helped boost the profile of women in a genre long dominated by men, encouraging record labels to sign more female rappers. She has frequently teamed up with rising female artists, including GloRilla, FendiDa Rappa and “WAP” collaborator Megan Thee Stallion.

Cardi’s stop at American Airlines Center is part of the arena run supporting her second studio album, 2025’s Am I the Drama? Recent shows in the “Little Miss Drama Tour” have leaned into spectacle, with elaborate staging, surprise guest appearances and a set list that spans her entire career.

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Fans can expect a high-energy performance built around booming trap beats, pop hooks and Cardi’s signature unfiltered banter — the same mix that has helped her sell out dates across the tour and turn concerts into party-like events.

DETAILS: March 7 at 7:30 p.m. at American Airlines Center in Dallas. Tickets start at $334.10, but some verified resale tickets are cheaper. ticketmaster.com.

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Pop legend Diana Ross performs March 7 at the WinStar World Casino in Thackerville, Oklahoma.

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OTHER CONCERTS

Bluesy psychedelic rock band All Them Witches performs March 7 at House of Blues Dallas.

Bluesy psychedelic rock band All Them Witches performs March 7 at House of Blues Dallas.

Travis Pinson

ALL THEM WITCHES March 7 at 8 p.m. at House of Blues Dallas. ticketmaster.com.

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DIANA ROSS March 7 at 8 p.m. at WinStar World Casino in Thackerville, Okla. winstar.com.

RICH BRIAN March 7 at 8 p.m. at The Bomb Factory in Deep Ellum. axs.com.

TRACE ADKINS March 7 at 10 p.m. at Billy Bob’s Texas in Fort Worth. billybobstexas.com.

AFROJACK March 8 at 3 p.m. at It’ll Do Club in Deep Ellum. eventbrite.com.

LITHE March 8 at 8 p.m. at House of Blues Dallas. ticketmaster.com.

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CONAN GRAY March 10 at 8 p.m. at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth. ticketmaster.com.

MATISYAHU March 10 at 8 p.m. at the Granada Theater in Dallas. prekindle.com.

OUR LADY PEACE, WITH THE VERVE PIPE March 12 at 8 p.m. at Tannahill’s Tavern and Music Hall in Fort Worth. ticketmaster.com.

PAUL WALL March 12 at 9 p.m. and March 13 at 10 p.m. at Billy Bob’s Texas in Fort Worth. billybobstexas.com.



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GOP candidates for Texas House face off in Collin County, Park Cities, North Dallas

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GOP candidates for Texas House face off in Collin County, Park Cities, North Dallas


The fiercest legislative primary fights Tuesday in North Texas were inside the GOP.

In Dallas County, two moderate GOP incumbent representatives faced challengers after being censured by their own county party.

In Collin County, several Republican state House members were fending off rivals running to their right.

The Dallas Morning News will provide live election results this evening when the polls close at 7 p.m. Results will be updated throughout the evening for statewide races and Dallas, Collin, Denton, Ellis, Kaufman, Rockwall and Tarrant counties.

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Dallas County, House District 108

Republican Morgan Meyer, first elected in 2014, was challenged by attorney Sanjay Narayan in a district that includes the Park Cities, Oak Lawn and Preston Hollow.

Narayan criticized Meyer for backing renewable energy expansion and for being censured by the Dallas GOP last year.

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Meyer was among House Republicans targeted after disputes over the House speaker vote and chamber rules. He and other lawmakers called the censure effort unconstitutional.

In the campaign, Meyer focused on property tax relief and emergency preparedness after the Camp Mystic tragedy.

Small business owner Allison Mitchell is unopposed in the Democratic primary.

Dallas County, House District 112

Republican Angie Chen Button, who has represented the district covering parts of Dallas, Richardson and Garland since 2009, drew three primary opponents.

Button has highlighted her support for small businesses and public schools and her bipartisan record. A senior member of the Ways and Means Committee, she would play a key role in the state’s property tax debate if reelected.

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Dallas-area delegation in the Texas House of Representatives on Sunday, May 30, 2021, showing State Rep. Angie Chen Button, R-Garland, in the chamber.

Bob Daemmrich / Bob Daemmrich/CapitolPressPhoto

Opponents Chad Carnahan and Tina Price attacked Button for being censured by the Dallas GOP last year, a move she and other lawmakers have criticized as an internal party power struggle.

Carnahan, a businessman, said he wants to lower property taxes and prevent Shariah in Texas.

Price said she would improve public schools and spur the re-use of old buildings. Also in the GOP race: Perry E. Barker Sr.

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Democrat Zach Herbert was unopposed.

Collin County, House District 61

Two Republicans are seeking to represent the district that covers most of McKinney and parts of Frisco and Celina.

Incumbent Keresa Richardson, who was elected in 2024, and former state Rep. Frederick Frazier both support eliminating property taxes.

Richardson, an entrepreneur, said she would expand the Texas voucher-like program for education.

Frazier, a former police officer and McKinney City Council member, was more cautious about expanding the program.

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Frederick Frazier speaks as Rep. Keresa Richardson looks on during a candidate forum for...

Frederick Frazier speaks as Rep. Keresa Richardson looks on during a candidate forum for Republicans in Collin County ahead of the March primary election at Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano, Texas, Tuesday, February 10, 2026.

Anja Schlein / Special Contributor

Two political newcomers, Jackie Bescherer and Brittany Black, are running in the Democratic primary. Both oppose Texas’ voucher program and vow to increase public education funding.

Collin County, House District 67

Republican Rep. Jeff Leach, first elected in 2012, faces Matt Thorsen in a district that includes parts of Plano, Allen, McKinney and Melissa.

Leach has highlighted his conservative record, including legislation barring Shariah in Texas courts. He also served as a House impeachment manager during Attorney General Ken Paxton’s 2023 trial, a role he has defended amid backlash from activists.

Thorsen, a small business owner and former youth pastor, helped lead the effort to censure Leach last year. He has criticized Leach’s impeachment role and accused him of siding with Democrats on House rules.

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Both support eliminating property taxes, expanding education savings accounts and oppose the development formerly known as EPIC City. Two Democrats are also running, though the district has leaned Republican.

Collin County, House District 70

Three Republicans are competing for the nomination to run against incumbent Democrat Mihaela Plesa, who is running unopposed in her party’s primary.

Democrat Mihaela Plesa responds to questions during a District 70 Candidate Forum hosted by...

Democrat Mihaela Plesa responds to questions during a District 70 Candidate Forum hosted by Raise Your Hand Texas at Plano ISD Academy High School in Plano on Wednesday, Oct. 19, 2022.

Liesbeth Powers / Staff Photographer

George Flint, a former district judge and Collin County Republican Party Chair, emphasized eliminating property taxes and securing the border in his campaign.

Jack Ryan Gallagher, an attorney, said he would attract companies to North Texas, improve public schools and partner with local law enforcement if elected.

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Michael Hewitt, an attorney, said he would gradually lower property taxes and work to keep Texas a business-friendly state.

The district includes parts of Plano, Richardson and Far North Dallas.



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