Chris Paul Too Much For Luka Doncic; Mavs Blown Out By Suns in Game 2
Just when you thought the Dallas Mavericks might be able end their 10-game losing streak to the Suns, Phoenix slammed the door on those hopes in emphatic fashion in Game 2.
After leading by two points at halftime, and then trailing only by six points heading into the fourth quarter, the Mavs ended up being completely blown off the floor in the final frame and ultimately lost the game, 129-109. Phoenix now holds a 2-0 series lead over Dallas.
Christian Petersen/Getty Images
Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports
Barry Gossage/NBAE via Getty Images
Although Devin Booker led the Suns with 30 points, it was Chris Paul who took over the game down the stretch by putting up 28 points, six rebounds and eight assists on 11-16 shooting from the field. Paul hunted Mavs star Luka Doncic relentlessly in the fourth quarter and took it to him with little resistance. Although Doncic might be the best young player in this series, Paul was the better star in Game 2.
Doncic, who had 24 points and six assist in the first half, finished with 35 points, five rebounds and seven assists while 13-22 from the field and 5-10 from deep in 36 minutes. On a handful of occasions, Doncic seemed rattled, not only Phoenix's defense, but also the away crowd, as he jawed back-and-forth with fans on the sidelines all game long. He committed seven turnover on the night.
Make no mistake, Doncic needs his teammates to step up and help him more than they have through these first two Western Conference Semifinals games, but he has to clean up some things as well and set the tone. The high-volume scoring is nice, but he must cut down on the silly turnovers that lead to points for the Suns on the other end of the court.
For the second-consecutive game, the Mavs started out the first quarter in a 9-0 hole before getting things going. Dallas came into Game 2 talking about how they couldn't let that happen again, yet that's exactly what happened. The Suns are too good of a team to be spotting that many consecutive points to start a game, and coach Jason Kidd might have to make a starting lineup change in Game 3 provide the spark that's needed.
Coming off a fantastic first-round series against the Utah Jazz, Jalen Brunson had a disappointing Game 1 performance vs. the Suns. Unfortunately for the Mavs, Brunson was even worst in Game 2, as he finished with just nine points while shooting 3-12 from the field.
Joe Camproeale-USA TODAY Sports
Christian Petersen/Getty Images
Christian Petersen/Getty Images
Although it appeared that Brunson had earned himself a lot of extra money in the first round, perhaps that money figure is being lowered a little bit now that he's struggling as much as he is against a team with superior length. Brunson experienced these same issues against the Los Angeles Clippers in last year's postseason as well.
Aside from Doncic, Reggie Bullock and Spencer Dinwiddie were the only other Mavericks to score double-digit points. Bullock was the Mavs' second-leading scorer with 16 points on 4-8 shooting from deep, and Dinwiddie scored 11 off the bench on just 3-10 shooting overall.
Dinwiddie has been just as disappointing as Brunson in this series. The aggression for both players is there at times, but they just haven't been able to get shots to fall. One of the big advantages for Dallas against Utah was the three-headed point guard monster of Doncic, Brunson and Dinwiddie not only scoring, but also making plays for others as well. Dinwiddie and Brunson had just four assists combined in Game 2.
The Mavs will now return the American Airlines Center as the series shifts to Dallas for Games 3 and 4. If Kidd, Doncic and company can't find a way to get off to better starts, this series could potentially be over in a sweep on Mother's Day.
