Mavericks, Doncic Must Keep Attacking Paint In Game 7 vs. Suns
The Dallas Mavericks bounced back in a major way in Game 6 after being contained to an abysmal outing by the Phoenix Suns in the game prior. With a Western Conference Finals appearance on the line, how each team approaches Game 7 will be pivotal.
The outcomes for the two teams were almost pure opposites in Game 5 and Game 6. The Mavericks couldn't score, turned it over a lot, and couldn't get stops back in Phoenix. Then it was the Suns that experienced the same in Game 6 playing in Dallas with the chance to put the Mavericks away.
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Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
There were a few apparent keys to the Mavericks' Game 6 success. Keeping turnovers at a minimum with just six was critical to limit the number of easy scoring chances for the Suns. Another key? Getting into the paint to exploit advantages.
"I think we played great. I think we missed some layups, especially me – I missed some too," Luka Doncic said after Game 6. "But no turnovers and attacking the paint is the key to the game, and that’s what we did today.”
When the Mavericks experienced their third-quarter collapse in Game 5, a big reason was their inability to get to the rim within the half-court. Doncic had to work hard for tough shots and the offense got stagnant.
The Mavericks experienced a lot of success as Game 6 developed with Doncic attacking the rim. In the early goings, he had some point-blank opportunities at the rim that didn't fall. With Dwight Powell at the five, it's simpler for the Suns to keep Ayton more in a position to impact the paint.
Powell did create a few advantageous situations for Doncic by screening the big defender after Doncic had turned the corner to get downhill — also known as the Gortat. Continuing to get creative to make the on-ball defender work while neutralizing the shot blocker is always helpful.
"I thought he was aggressive and attacking the rim," Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said about Doncic's Game 6 performance. "He wasn't waiting. You can tell he had some great looks that just didn't fall for him. But I thought the biggest thing is his maturity; he was maybe frustrated but he didn't let it get to him.
"He continued to execute and attack. And then when he drew a crowd, he got off of it and the guys knocked down shots."
Using a traditional high ball screen from Powell will likely result in Doncic needing to be aggressive looking to score. The Suns do not want to send help off the corners if they don't need to and with Bridges and Ayton involved in the play, they likely feel they shouldn't have to either. These are situations for a floater instead of scanning for passing chances.
One of the factors in Doncic's success getting to the rim was Ayton having to respect the floor spacing of Maxi Kleber when he played the five spot — creating opportunities for Doncic to do what he does best.
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Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
An interesting wrinkle the Mavericks showed with Kleber at the five was to run their dribble handoff set. With the pick-and-pop ability Kleber provides, Ayton is left having to pick between switching the screen or staying home on Kleber.
On the first possession, Ayton opted to stay attached to Kleber — resulting in a wide-open driving lane for Doncic to throw down a two-hand slam. When Ayton made the switch, Doncic worked to take him to the rim and drew a foul using a shot fake.
Doncic has shown he can get to the rim when Ayton is guarding him on a switch. The threat of the step-back 3 draws Ayton tight on the perimeter and if Doncic can get him to shift directions at least once, it opens up a clear lane to finish.
Doncic was aggressive against smaller matchups throughout the second half by taking them to the rim as opposed to settling for jumpers. It's all just about choice in those outcomes, though. Fatigue plays a factor. Having two days off before Game 7 will undoubtedly help in that regard.
The importance of taking step-back 3s shouldn't be understated, though. Doncic is able to get the shot off whether he's being guarded by an elite wing defender like Mikal Bridges, or if he has a mismatch in Ayton, Paul, or Cameron Johnson. When the shot drops, it's demoralizing for the defense and builds momentum.
Regardless, Doncic is still shooting 5-33 (15.2 percent) from beyond the arc in his last four games after beginning the series 9-21 (42.9 percent) through two performances. Finding the right balance goes a long way, especially when factoring in how much pressure the defense faces as a whole when he gets into the paint.
The Suns have shown they're willing to bend their defense to give up 3s when Doncic is getting to the rim. In Game 6, he made it a point to get the ball to the open teammate when there was extra defensive focus sent his way.
If the Mavericks can use sets to draw the low-man to tag a roller at times in Game 7, that's another way to use the attention Doncic commands to open up an off-ball threat. Devin Booker is not effective at containing dribble penetration, especially on closeouts. A player like Jalen Brunson can capitalize.
Creating transition opportunities for Doncic to barrel his way to the rim is another X-factor for the Mavericks. They finished with 16 steals in Game 6 due to the work they put in defensively. While that's highly unlikely to occur again, every chance they get adds up. Even pushing after a rebound goes a long way, too.
There's been plenty of layers to the chess match between Jason Kidd and Monty Williams. Both sides had great game plans for their most recent respective home game. With no more left in the series, both sides will be looking to use everything they've got.
When the Suns get creative, Doncic has the versatility to counter. Even when the defense used a deep switch in Game 6 to get Bridges back onto Doncic around the nail, Doncic was able to get to a turnaround jumper as a counter. Let's just say, it pays off to have an elite player.
Doncic is by far the best player in this series and that tends to go a long way for a team trying to gun their way to a Game 7 victory. If he can get into the paint, good things tend to happen. Now, if the step-back 3 is dropping, too, the Mavericks should have a great outlook.
The Mavericks' outlook in Game 7 isn't all about Doncic, though. He's shown to be capable of a massive performance while the rest of the offense "doesn't show up to the party." Every player's contributions will be required, Doncic will just need to set the tone.
