PHOENIX – One of the most anticipated matches of the second round of the NBA after the season, pitting runner-up in defense of the year Michal Bridges against longtime MVP candidate Luka Doncic, was a discrepancy in favor of the Dallas Mavericks during match 1 on Monday. it didn’t matter.
Doncic defeated the top seeded Phoenix Suns with 45 points, 12 rebounds and 8 assists at the start of the series, but the Mavs fell behind in the Western Conference semifinals with a 121-114 loss at the Footprint Center.
The Suns rarely sent an extra defender to Doncic to try to snatch the ball from his hands. He did a lot of damage – making 15 of 30 shots from the floor, including eight runs and two shots – but Phoenix prevented the other Mavs playmakers from getting into the rhythm. The other Mavs starters combined just 39 points, scoring more points for the second time in 17 playoffs in Doncic’s career than the other four Dallas players.
“He got what he wanted when you looked at the bumps in the paint, behind the rainbow, the midrange, and then I also thought he got his teammates great visions that we usually do,” said Dallas coach Jason Kidd. “I thought he was playing great.
“We just have to get someone to join the party.”
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Mavs guard Jalen Brunson, the breakthrough star in the first-round victory over the Utah Jazz, had a 16-point break in 6 of 16 shots. Sixth man Spencer Dinuidi, the other player Dallas relied on as an offensive creator, was held up to eight points in a 3 out of 8 shooting.
“Every time you’re 45, you look at that number and you don’t like it, but I look at their assists,” said Suns coach Monty Williams. “They were only 16. So [Maxi] Kleber hit a few 3s, but for the most part no one else has been able to follow the path he is capable of. “
The Suns were content to defend Doncic outright, usually playing cover-ups in pick-and-roll when Dwight Powell’s lob threat was on the floor and switching screens set by Kleber, the Mavs’ second-highest scorer with 19 points. Shooting 6 out of 9. According to ESPN Stats & Information, Doncic had 14 points in shooting 4 out of 6 with Bridges as the main defender.
All 30 attempts to score from Doncic’s flight, which was 4 of 11 out of 3 points, were out of dribble.
“We just need to attack more fight,” said Doncic, whose career-high average of 33.4 points coincides with that of Michael Jordan for the highest score in NBA history. “I was content with a little too many retreats for me. Attacking paint is our deadly weapon. When we do that, we can score easily, especially with a 5-out and they have a big rotation. We have more paint to attack. “
However, Doncic was much more concerned about Dallas’ performance in defense, especially in the first half. Suns shot with 63.6% of the floor and 50% of 3 points, while building a lead of 13 points at halftime.
Phoenix attacked Doncic in defense early and often. According to ESPN Stats & Info tracking, the Suns scored 24 points in 10 of 18 shots when Doncic was the main defender.
“I think our defense lost the match today,” Doncic said. “Our start on defense was terrible and we need to change that. I know we can play much better in defense.”
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