MAVS’ 3S SINK SUNS
Luka Doncic tumbled toward the baseline after getting bumped by Chris Paul just before the halftime buzzer, the apprentice showing he has watched one of the masters at drawing fouls.
Mavericks 111, Suns 101
The trick spurred a critical fourth foul on Paul, setting up the Dallas Mavericks to get even in the Western Conference semifinals.
Doncic scored 26 points while helping Dallas take advantage of foul trouble for Paul to beat the Phoenix Suns 111-101 on Sunday for a 2-2 series tie.
“I saw he was going for the rebound and I was surprised,” Doncic said. “He said to me, ‘Did I push you that hard?’ I said, ‘No, not that hard. But it was a smart play.’ And he said, ‘Yeah, I know.’ ”
Paul ended up being out of Game 4 early in the fourth quarter, the period when he often dominated the Mavericks during an 11-game winning streak that ended with consecutive home victories for Dallas. Game 5 is Tuesday night in Phoenix.
Dorian Finney-Smith scored a playoff career-high 24 points on the most 3pointers he’s had, regular season or playoffs. He was 8 of 12 from deep, including consecutive 3s for a 14-point lead midway through the fourth.
Dallas matched its 20 3s (20 of 44) from a Mother’s Day rout of the Los Angeles Lakers in 2011, a win that completed a four-game sweep in the second round on the way to the championship. The Mavericks are playing beyond the first round for the first time since then.
Devin Booker scored 35 points for the Suns, who dropped two straight on the road with a 2-0 lead just as they did in last year’s NBA Finals. Milwaukee won the last four to take the title. Topseeded Phoenix lost consecutive games for the first
time in the playoffs.
“Last year was a learning experience for us,” Booker said. “We went to six games last year with the Lakers, six games with the Clippers, six with the Bucks, six with New Orleans (this year). We understand that it’s a series. It’s the playoffs for a reason.”
76ers 116, Heat 108: James Harden scored 31 points, Joel Embiid had 24 points and 11 rebounds and Philadelphia beat visiting Miami in Game 4 to even the Eastern Conference semifinal series.
The Heat won the first two games in Miami with Embiid out with a right orbital fracture and mild concussion. The 76ers won Games 3 and 4 at home with Embiid and his mask in the lineup. Game 5 is Tuesday night in Miami.
The Heat pecked away at the lead and got within five until Harden sank his fifth 3pointer of the game with three minutes left. Harden crushed the Heat on catchand-shoot 3s and hit one clutch shot after another in
the fourth.
Jimmy Butler scored 40 points for Miami.
Notable
Memphis guard Ja Morant is unlikely to play in Game 4 of the Western Conference semifinals against Golden State tonight after injuring his right knee on a play with Jordan Poole that the teams are debating from the Grizzlies’ 142-112 loss Saturday night.
Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins said Sunday he doesn’t expect Morant to be available with Memphis trailing the Warriors 2-1 in the best-of-seven series.
The Sacramento Kings have agreed to hire Golden State assistant Mike Brown as their head coach, according to a person familiar with the decision.
Brown previously had two stints as head coach in Cleveland where he guided the Cavaliers to the NBA Finals in 2007 and had one stint as coach of the Los Angeles Lakers.