The Dallas Mavericks beat then Phoenix Suns 130-111 at American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas, on Monday, giving the Western Conference leader their second loss out of the past three games.

The Phoenix Suns were 16-7 before Monday's competition, which was surprisingly good considering that their veteran star point guard Chris Paul only made 10 appearances and was in a poor form. The credit belongs to every one on the team's roster. Devin Booker remained sharp in individual attack, Cameron Payne lifted his 3-point rate back to over 40 percent while averaging career-high 5.6 assists. The pair gave the team a solid playmaking engine in the back court.

It's no secret that Mikal Bridges can do more than 3-point shooting and reliable defense. His ability to dribble to make more moves after receiving the ball in the two corners enriched the Suns' offensive tricks. Damion Lee, Torrey Craig and Kock Landale all made unexpected offensive contributions from the 3-point line, offense rebounding and finishing under the rim.

However, the strings that pulled all of the above parts together are not as strong as the system. When Booker couldn't destroy his defender via isolation, his teammates found it more and more difficult to find open shots in front of the Mavericks' quick rotations. Having gone 0-for-7 from the field in the first quarter, Booker watched the Suns fall into a deep pit of 18-point deficit.

Though Booker shot better later in the game, the Mavericks made sure that he couldn't find consistency by double-teaming him from time to time. Payne shared Booker's cold touch in field goals (FGs). Though he managed to deliver 10 assists to help Deandre Ayton go 9-for-10 to score 20 points, Ayton as no more than a finisher, lacks the ability to change the opponents' defense.

Offensive underperformance was only one of the reasons behind the Suns' big loss on Monday night. Despite their NBA-fifth-best defensive rating, they were clueless on how to contain Luka Doncic's lethal influence on the Mavericks' offense, or simply how to slow him down.

Having played less than 30 minutes at home on Monday, Doncic shot 12-for-20 in FGs to drop 33 points, six rebounds and eight assists. It didn't matter who switched to guard him because he could always pick a weapon from his comprehensive arsenal and then skillfully used it to score from downtown, in the middle range or next to the hoop.

Doncic forced the Suns to concentrate so many of their defensive resources on him so early at the cost of leaving other Mavericks open. This team, Doncic's teammates didn't let him down, going 16-for-32 from deep. Both Tim Hardaway Jr. and Spencer Dinwiddie drained five triples for the team.

Other games on Monday (away teams come first):

Los Angeles Clippers 119-117 Charlotte Hornets

Both Kawhi Leonard and Paul George returned from injury for the Clippers at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina. The two apparently had a lot of rust to shake off after missing so many games. The rest of the team needed some time to grow familiar and build chemistry with the star duo, which explained their six-point deficit (90-84) in the first three quarters.

Leonard gave the Clippers some reasons to believe that the process may not need to be that long. They trailed 117-115 at 1:06 in the fourth quarter. In the following possession, Marcus Morris missed a 3-pointer from the right wing, but George clapped the offensive rebound to Leonard who made the shot in front of three Hornets to tie the score.

The Hornets missed a left corner triple in the next possession. George then passed it to John Wall and pointed at Leonard for Wall to pass. Leonard received the ball and then faced the rim and Jalen McDaniels in the right elbow. Leonard did a fake shot, took one big step to the left, and then made a jumper for the Clippers to lead. It was not his best move, but good enough for his team to win.

Oklahoma City Thunder 121-114 Atlanta Hawks

Having missed the Hawks’ last game reportedly due to conflict with head coach Nate McMillan, Trae Young returned to the court at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. His shooting touch was cold, especially at the 3-point line (1-for-7), but managed to score 23 points after making 10 free throws. His 10 assists helped Clint Capela work efficiently in the paint to get a double-double of 14 points and 16 rebounds.

However, Young was outmatched by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (SGA) in individual attack, especially in aggressiveness. SGA got the same points as Young did in the first three quarters. Though he made only one FG in the final period, he went to the free throw line 10 times in this quarter alone and made all of his shots there to lead the Thunder to outscore the Hawks 37-26.

Philadelphia 76ers 123-132 Houston Rockets

James Harden came back for the 76ers after missing 14 games because of a right foot tendon strain and his first game was at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas, where he grew to become an NBA Most Valuable Player.

The Rockets welcomed Harden with two overtimes (OTs) and quick young legs that always appeared in front of him to deflect his shooting. Having missed 15 of his 19 FG attempts, Harden scored 21 points by making four triples and nine free throws. It was Joel Embiid who kept the game alive for the 76ers with 39 points until he was fouled out in the first OT.

Harden didn't start in the second OT, but came out to play at 2:25 when his team trailed 125-119. He made one 3-pointer, missed a mid-range jumper and committed two turnovers. Fairly speaking, his presence didn't have much impact on the game during the second OT.

On the Rockets' side, Jalen Green, Kevin Porter Jr. and Jabari Smith Jr. combined to score 67 points, 21 rebounds and 11 assists for the team to win. Green missed all of his seven shots from deep, but went 7-for-8 under the rim. Jabari Smith shot 3-for-6 at the 3-point line. Porter Jr. couldn't match the two on either front, but he achieved something from both outside and inside. The Rockets still need some time to observe their young men before deciding who should be their cornerstone.

Milwaukee Bucks 109-102 Orlando Magic

Boston Celtics 116-110 Toronto Raptors

Miami Heat 93-101 Memphis Grizzlies

Indiana Pacers 112-104 Golden State Warriors