Just when the Dallas Mavericks looked like a fish out of water against the Phoenix Suns, their Western Conference semifinals battle is now tied at 2-2.
How did the Mavs do it? What will the series look like moving forward? Let’s try to break down how we got here.
Home sweet home
There’s a sports adage that says role players usually play better at home. Whether it’s sleeping on your own bed, eating the food at your own house, or driving your car to the arena, there’s a level of comfort in playing at home. Not to mention, the 20,000-plus crowd cheering and pumping you up in the game.
That belief rang true for the Mavericks when the series shifted to the American Airlines Center in Dallas.
Jalen Brunson shot 9-for-28 in the first two games for 22 points. In the last two, he’s poured in 46 points, including a 28-point barrage in Game 3.
Then there’s Dorian Finney-Smith’s turnaround. He only knocked two 3-pointers when the series was in Phoenix but came alive in front of the Dallas crowd. He’s drilled 12 triples over the last two games. Even more amazing to see are the shot attempts he had. He’s hoisted 23 shots from beyond the arc in the last two outings after attempting just six, which all came from the first game.
Similarly, those Davis Bertans triples were momentum-shifting as he put the crowd in a frenzy. The fans inside the Footprint Center won’t be as friendly so it will be a challenge for these guys moving forward.
Granted that they changed their game plans and the Mavs obviously played with a lot more urgency. Nonetheless, the stats for their role players have been night and day.
Luka Doncic will get his numbers regardless of where the game is. That’s what superstar players do. But it’s the 3-and-D specialists, secondary playmakers, and the energy guys that need to be fueled by the crowd.
Using Doncic differently
There’s been a subtle and impactful change in the Dallas offense by putting Doncic more involved in the post. Even though Doncic can work his way through isolations, screen-and-rolls, and pass off a trap, putting him in the shaded area has put the Suns’ defense on their heels. Instead of Mikal Bridges and a secondary defender converging on him at the top, Doncic can do damage while already being in the teeth of the defense. And because he’s such a good passer, he can find cutters and shooters as the play develops in the post.
It’s also no coincidence that Brunson and Finney-Smith are getting different looks. Brunson, with his ability to create off the dribble, can attack the defense with a lot of headroom. As for Finney-Smith, a number of his 3-point attempts came off several actions, including more plays in the post for Doncic.
The talk of the town after Game 2 was how Chris Paul and the Suns went at Doncic relentlessly, forcing him to play defense. But Doncic can do the same, going at Paul after a switch, and bulldozing the smaller guard in the paint. In turn, Paul was in foul trouble because the Mavericks have tweaked the offense.
No panic yet in The Valley
Chris Paul has had a rough two games in Dallas. After a 28-point, 8-assist, and 6-rebound performance in Game 2, where he once again provided the late-game heroics, he’s been silenced in the next two games. He played so poorly that the stats that jump out for him are the uncharacteristic seven turnovers he had in Game 3 and the six fouls he committed in Game 4.
It’s also unfortunate that CP3’s family was troubled by a fan after Game 4. As much as there’s fierce competition, it shouldn't be lost on everyone that mistreatment of players and their loved ones should not be tolerated.
The Suns shouldn’t be all that worried. They’re going home and the series is still tied. Paul will be back. He’s too good, too smart, and too much of a veteran to be a non-factor. He’ll find a way to avoid foul trouble and limit his errors.
As for the Suns, they just need to figure out how to take care of the ball better as an average of 15.3 turnovers after four games is a lot more than their liking. They also need to go back to what works for them in sharing the ball on offense and being in sync on defense. The Mavericks went berserk from downtown in Game 4, going 20-for-44. They probably won’t shoot the same in back-to-back games but you do have to make them work for those shots more.
Devin Booker powered his way to 35 points in Game 4 and he remains the team’s leading scorer in with an average of 26.5 points. It seems so long ago when he dealt with a hamstring injury in the first round. Despite the two losses, Booker is playing in MVP form and that’s a positive takeaway for Phoenix.
