Suns

Phoenix Suns guard Chris Paul (3) moves the ball against Dallas Mavericks guard Luka. Mark J. Rebilas/USA TODAY Sports.

It’s not just the list of Paul’s attributes that go on and on–it’s Paul himself. It even takes him back to when he and his father would watch Paul before he was in college let alone the NBA. But the Slovenian star has to be better on that end of the floor, especially if he wants to have success in the later rounds of the playoffs. That doesn’t make it any less awe-inspiring to watch Paul go to work in the game’s highest leverage moments. The list keeps going on and on.” For example, even with JaVale McGee and Deandre Ayton battling foul trouble, Bismack Biyombo came off the bench as the third center and matched Brunson in scoring while connecting on all four of his shots. When the time comes, he can often bend a game to his will. The Suns had four players in double figures, including 30 points on 11-of-19 shooting from Devin Booker. Crowder hit three threes en route to 15 points, while Mikal Bridges added 11 of his own. Notably, neither of those players was Jalen Brunson. The spark plug guard who was a revelation against Utah managed only nine points on 25% shooting Wednesday. Brunson now has only 22 points through two games after scoring at least 23 every night in Round 1. And three separate times the soon-to-be 37-year-old left Dončić in the dust for a score. We rode him out in the fourth quarter.” Of Paul’s six fourth-quarter field goals, five were the result of attacking defenders after a switch.

Phoenix grabs a 2-0 series edge thanks to its star backcourt and a decisive 4th quarter surge that has Dallas now searching for answers.

Williams played for Popovich with the Spurs (1995-98) and spent time working for the organization as its vice president of basketball operations. Out in Milwaukee, Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer took his first NBA job at the start of the 1994-95 season as San Antonio’s video coordinator before Popovich promoted him to assistant coach (1996-2013). Memphis Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins spent 2012-13 as coach of San Antonio’s NBA G League affiliate, the Austin Toros (now the Spurs), after toiling from 2008-12 as an assistant with that team. But six of the eight teams that are were led by men who either played for coach Gregg Popovich or started their careers working under him or the San Antonio Spurs organization. Ayton played just 18:28 because he picked up foul No. 4 in the third quarter, and his backup, JaVale McGee, piled up five fouls. “[It’s] not just playing in that environment, but [them] being able to rebound is the biggest thing. Phoenix corrected that issue by hitting a playoff franchise record of 64.5% from the field. We’ve heard quite a bit in this series about the Mavericks’ small-ball lineups. Once winning time arrived, Paul lived up to the nickname “Point God” in drilling 6-for-7 for 14 points as the catalyst to a 40-point fourth quarter in which he scored or assisted on the first club’s 19 points. Utah, Brunson and Dinwiddie have combined to produce less than half of that (20.5) through the first two games of this series. “We felt it yesterday in the gym. Phoenix is 23-7 this season when he hits 30 points and the Suns are 52-0 in 2021-22 when it leads after three quarters. His rough showing in the third quarter sunk Dallas’ prospects for taking Game 2.

A sports TV personality says that the Dallas Mavericks are still very alive in their series against the Phoenix Suns.

The Suns have the better roster. The Suns might have the better coach. He's doing it because he's trying to play some mind games that will not work with the Dallas Mavericks … This series is going to be a war. "The Mavs are going to have to adjust, I will admit that. Did it despite Jae Crowder going full Chris Paul and kicking him in the groin mid-game. Does it despite the fact that Jalen Brunson can't make a basket to save his life. He's not naturally a great defender to begin with and Chris Paul, because he is as smart of a basketball player as we've ever had this side of LeBron James, waits and waits and waits and then in the fourth quarter, when Luka is his most tired, and the Mavs are their most desperate, he just tortures them. Luka's (Doncic) one weakness as a player is he is not a great defensive player … They are in a rough spot because the Mavs right now have one way to score and it is Luka because Jalen Brunson has yet to show up in the series. "Because I've got to tell you, the Suns look pretty good and I'm not sure the Mavs are going to be able to fix this defense in the next 48 hours." Suns have no answer for Luka. Phoenix got every rebound & hit 3 desperation end- of-shot clock shots in the 2nd half that killed any comeback attempt. The Suns have home court. The Mavs are in a rough spot.

Suns guard Devin Booker could feel the intensity from the Footprint Center crowd on Wednesday night, especially after a trio of three balls.

The energy is around the city. “The energy is in the house. “I done played with a lot of great shooters in my career but nobody like that. I think everyone is on this revenge tour with us and it’s fun to be a part of it.” “The energy is in the house, the energy is around the city. “They’re bringing it, man.”