DALAS – Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic feels he has disappointed his teammates with what he described as a “terrible” defensive effort in the second half of the Phoenix Suns’ loss in Game 2. His back-up partner Jalen Brunson needed just one word to sum up his performance on the 0-2 trip to Phoenix: “Terrible.”
They both arrived at the American Airlines Center on Friday night, determined to make sure Game 3 was different. The duo succeeded, ruining the 37th birthday of Suns star Chris Paul and leading Dallas to a 103-94 victory to give the Mavs their first victory in the Western Conference semifinals.
Brunson scored a record 28 points – six more than he combined in the first two games of the series – and kept the Mavs comfortable ahead while Doncic spent much of the second half in foul trouble. Doncic finished with 26 points, 13 rebounds, nine assists and two steals.
“Everyone joined the party,” said Dallas coach Jason Kidd, replaying his comment after Game 1, when Doncic did not receive much support. “They helped at both ends. Luca was great in defense. He was also involved. That puts us in a different position when that happens.”
The Mavs ‘guard significantly outperformed the Suns’ All-Star back zone of Paul and Devin Booker, who combined for more turns (seven) than they scored on the field (11). A dozen turnovers were their biggest in every game of their two seasons as teammates, according to a study by ESPN Stats & Information.
This was in stark contrast to the dominance of the Suns’ guards during the first two games of the Phoenix series.
“He wasn’t like us,” said Booker, who had 18 points in six of 13 shots. “You can trust them. They went out and played hard, they played desperately. But that’s it. We have a series.”
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Paul made seven rolls, one less than his highest career in the playoffs, while holding on to 12 points and four assists. By comparison, Paul had 14 points in just the fourth quarter of the Game 2 defeat, relentlessly chasing and using Doncic’s switches.
“They went out and did what they had to do,” Paul said. “We’ll be back on Sunday.”
Strikers Reggie Bullock and Dorian Feeney-Smith, the main defenders of Paul and Booker, respectively, led Dallas’ efforts at this end of the floor. The Mavs also made some schematic changes, such as more often duplicating Booker and blending into an area. But Doncic’s dramatically improved effort, which came hours after Kidd publicly called on him to “participate” in the defense, was key.
“The first or second possession, he was diving on the floor,” Feeney-Smith said. “When you see the best player do that, it kind of sets the mood.”
Doncic downplayed criticism of his Match 2 defense, whether from his coach or others, as a motivating factor. Tonight, he shifted the blame for the Dallas defense problems.
“I knew I had to do better,” said Doncic, who averages 35.3 points, 10.0 rebounds and 8.0 assists in the series. “I knew I could do better. I think I made a big leap in defense this year. The second half (from game 2) was terrible for me and I knew I had to go back to my team and play more. good protection. “
Brunson was a breakthrough star in the first round, averaging 27.8 points per game in a six-game win over the Utah Jazz, but was not a factor in both games in Phoenix. He suffered problems with disruptions in both games, part of the reason he could not find his rhythm, and shot only 32.1% of the floor.
“I just wanted him to be aggressive,” Kidd said. “We talked before the game – just be yourself. I thought this was the first time he was aggressive. He didn’t wait. He didn’t research.”
Brunson remained in attack mode, although he missed his first three shots, finishing the first quarter with 10 points in a 4 out of 7 shot. He had another quarter with 10 points in the third, which was critical because Doncic was eliminated in the last five minutes and 14 seconds due to foul problems.
“I found myself playing with a little more jump in my stride, getting to places faster and making decisions faster,” Brunson said. “The decisions came only because I was aggressive. My teammates just gave me confidence to play and I just kept doing it … I found a way to recover tonight, but I just can’t be happy about it. “
The win interrupted a series of 11 losses for the Mavs against the Suns, dating back to November 2019, a drought that Dallas players and coaches deliberately avoided discussing during that series.
“We will believe to the end,” Doncic said. “Someone has to get to four wins, and whether you’re down or up, you have to believe.”
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