Mavericks 104, Suns 94
DALLAS -- Point guard Deron Williams scored 18 in his return and the Dallas Mavericks snapped a three-game home losing streak by holding off the Phoenix Suns 104-94 Monday night at American Airlines Center.
The Mavericks (14-11) also salvaged the final game of a three-game homestand that had coach Rick Carlisle questioning his team's effort on its court.
There were no questions after the second meeting of the season against Phoenix.
The Mavs came out of the halftime locker room with a head of steam, breaking open a close game. Dallas outscored the Suns 31-15 in the third quarter, including an 11-0 run to end the period for a 77-58 lead.
Phoenix (11-15) had won three of its previous four games before losing to Dallas for the season time this season.
Five other Mavs joined Williams in double figures. Small forward Chandler Parsons scored 17 off the bench. Point guard Raymond Felton added 17 points and shooting guard Wesley Matthews scored 13.
Power forward Dirk Nowitzki snapped out of mini-shooting slump with 14 points on five-of-10 shooting and seven rebounds. Reserve guard Devin Harris scored 12 and tied his career high with six steals.
Phoenix was led by 23 points and seven assists from point guard Eric Bledsoe, but it was the bench (forward T.J. Warren, guard Sonny Weems and guard Archie Goodwin) that led a fourth-quarter charge after the Suns were behind 23 points.
A 13-0 spurt pulled Phoenix within 83-73 with 7 1/2 minutes remaining.
Parsons followed with a four-point play after being fouled on a 3-point make and the Mavs appeared to right the ship before another Suns' push.
Warren's three-point play cut it Dallas' advantage to 96-90. Bledsoe was fouled on a 3-pointer with 1:21 left and made two free throws to make it 98-92.
Williams, who made eight of 16, answered with a 3-pointer and the Mavs closed it out.
Suns power forward Jon Leuer had 15 points and 12 rebounds. Point guard Brandon Knight had 12 points, all coming in the first half.
Warren scored 10 in 19 minutes. Weems had nine points and knocked down his first two 3-pointers of the season. Goodwin scored six and grabbed four boards in 11 minutes.
Williams, back after missing a game with a stomach ailment, set the tone offensively in the early going by getting to the basket and scored 11 in the first half.
Suns center Tyson Chandler (six points and three rebounds in 14 minutes) came off the bench in his return to Dallas after leaving this past summer as a free agent. Chandler is still working his way back after missing eight games with a hamstring injury.
The Mavericks are at Indiana on Wednesday before returning home for Memphis on Friday.
The Suns' quick two-game road trip concludes at Golden State on Wednesday.
NOTES: Mavericks owner Mark Cuban offered his support to referee Bill Kennedy, who announced he was gay earlier in the day. "Good for him," Cuban said. "I don't think it's been a secret for a long time, but I'm proud of him. He represents the NBA as well as anyone that puts on a uniform, official or player." Dallas coach Rick Carlisle added: "I have great respect for him both as a referee and as a person." ... Dallas PG Deron Williams was active after missing Saturday with an illness. ... Suns C Tyson Chandler was playing his first game back in Dallas after his second free-agent split from the Mavs.