‘Suns in 4!’ Phoenix controlling Mavericks heading into Game 3
DALLAS — The Dallas Mavericks heard the chants loud and clear in the fourth quarter of Wednesday’s 129-109 Game 2 loss at Footprint Center.
“Suns in 4! Suns in 4!” the sellout crowd of 17,071 yelled in unison.
The Nuggets heard the same chants last year after a lopsided 25-point Game 2 defeat that put them in a 0-2 hole.
They ended up getting swept as Chris Paul and the Suns celebrated in Denver.
Fourth-seeded Dallas is looking to avoid that same outcome heading into Friday’s Game 3 at American Airlines Center.
“We have to be better,” Mavs coach Jason Kidd said after Game 2. “No matter what time, playoffs or regular season, we’ve got to stay together. We found a way to beat ourselves in that fourth quarter.”
With third-seeded Golden State and second-seeded Memphis tied 1-1, that conference semifinals series won’t end until Wednesday’s Game 5 at the earliest.
The next two games are in San Francisco, with Game 3 tipping off at 5:30 p.m. Saturday. If it goes seven, Game 7 is scheduled for Monday, May 16 in Memphis.
So the top-seeded Suns could have more than a week between Sunday’s Game 4 in Dallas and Game 1 of the conference finals — if they sweep the Mavericks.
“We’re looking pretty good right now,” said Suns forward Jae Crowder, who scored 15 points in Game 2. “We’ve got to lock in as we take these guys on the road.”
Dallas made 17 shots from 3 in Game 2 after hitting 16 in Game 1.
Luka Doncic followed up his 45-point night in Game 1 with 35 in Game 2.
And the Suns had four players in foul trouble — Devin Booker, Deandre Ayton, Cam Johnson and JaVale McGee — in Game 2, but they have a 2-0 series lead.
“The mood is fine,” said Doncic after Game 2. “I think a lot of players it’s the first time in this situation. They’ve got to win four so it’s not over yet. We’re going to go back home; our crowd is amazing and we’re going to live till the end.”
The Mavericks trailed by six going into the fourth after giving up a 5-0 burst in which Booker scored off an offensive rebound and later found Landry Shamet for corner 3 that put Phoenix up seven late in the third.
“It was a huge swing for us, coupled with the fact that we were getting stops,” Suns coach Williams said after Thursday’s practice in Dallas.
Then Paul had a hostile takeover in the fourth quarter.
Scoring 14 of his 28 points on 6-of-7 shooting, Paul took apart the Mavericks with his last bucket resulting in a 3-point play to give Phoenix a 108-93 lead with 7:04 remaining.
“He’s tough man, he’s a hell of a player,” Doncic said. “He’s been in this league a lot of years; he knows what this is about so he’s very tough. But like I said, we have to do a better job with him.”
Then Booker splashed three straight 3s late with his final one putting the Suns ahead, 119-95, with 4:13 left.
“When you look at that, CP and Book, they took turns,” Kidd said. “One took the third quarter (Booker 12 of his 30 points in the third), the other one took the fourth quarter, and we had no answer,”
Outscoring Dallas 40-26 in the fourth, the Suns shot an incredible 84.1% from the field in the quarter, going 6-of-8 from 3 to cap shooting a franchise record 64.5% for a playoff game.
So even though Dallas is shooting 41.5% from 3 and Doncic has been sensational, Phoenix still has control of the series going into Game 3.
If the Suns continue to have their way offensively, make Doncic work for his points and the Mavs don’t get major contributions for someone else, this series could very well be over at the conclusion of Sunday’s Game 4.
“(Doncic) had a great (Game 2), but no one else showed,” Kidd said. “We’ve got to get other guys shooting the ball better. We can’t win with just him out there scoring 30 a night. Not at this time of the year and we’re playing the best team in the league, and so we’ve got to get other guys going.”
Saric out indefinitely
The Suns announced Thursday big Dario Šarić underwent a successful arthroscopic procedure to the meniscus of his right knee Thursday.
He’ll continue to rehab the knee and remain out indefinitely.
Saric hasn’t played all season after tearing his right ACL in Game 1 of last year’s finals.