Suns

Phoenix's massive 3rd-quarter run, Devin Booker's big night and more marked the Suns' key win in Game 5 vs. Dallas.

You saw it in the Olympics, you’ve seen it in the playoffs this year and you saw it in the playoffs last year. “Even in those seasons where we didn’t make it, I sat there, I took that anger to the gym and just imagined myself being in those situations,” Booker said. The star shooting guard put up 12 points in the decisive third quarter, shooting 3 of 5 from 3-point range, in addition to tallying a pair of steals. The 25-year-old is also one of just 18 players in NBA history to produce at least 800 points in his first 30 playoff games. “I think it does a lot for us because in order to get out in transition, that means we got stops on the defensive end,” Paul said. “In Games 3 and 4, I think it bothered us a lot because we sort of hung our hat all season long on the defensive end. Booker and Charles Barkley are the only two Suns to put up 800 points in their first 30 career playoff games. Plus, Booker was coming off a 35-point performance in Game 4 as the series returned to Phoenix. Dallas racked up 16 turnovers in Game 5, which lead to 24 points from Phoenix. The Mavericks dished a total of only nine assists on 27 made baskets, which certainly isn’t a recipe for success. Coming off the defeats in Games 3 and 4, Williams fought off the urge to overdo it with adjustments for Game 5. Doncic seemed unaffected initially, pouring in 18 points on 7-of-16 shooting in the first half with no turnovers. Phoenix leaned on the trio of Mikal Bridges, Jae Crowder and Chris Paul early on as primary on-ball defenders against Dallas superstar guard Luka Doncic, and all three made Game 5 a physical affair.

It's never easy to pinpoint one play in a blowout win, but Deandre Ayton made one that was very notable.

(Biyombo and Dallas forward Marquese Chriss were ejected in Tuesday’s final seconds after a hard foul.) The Suns also lost Crowder, who left holding his shoulder in the final minutes. The Suns have that opportunity in Thursday’s Game 6. His next step comes in the postseason: refusing to let the Suns lose. Storylines change from day to day during the postseason. Entering Game 5, Ayton said he needed to return to the dominance he flashed in Game 1, playing physically and aggressively. It allows you to set your defense and you’re not turning the ball over.” The mindset to be aggressive, even though he had a couple fouls, we don’t want that to take away from his ability to do what he does really well, which is rebound the ball.” “The energy just wasn’t where it needed to be for this type of game,” Williams said. The Suns were flat to start. After the first quarter, the Mavs made 4 of 24. And yet, Dallas hit 6 of 8 in the opening minutes, including two from deep. Monty Williams, the NBA’s Coach of the Year, wasn’t happy during Tuesday night’s opening quarter.

Things have gotten testy in the Suns-Mavs series. Luka Doncic certainly doesn't sound like he's ready to make friends with his opponents.

Here’s to hoping the heated action doesn’t extend beyond the friendly confines of the hardwood. There was also an attempted rendezvous in the locker room tunnels between Mavs’ Marquese Chriss and Suns’ Bismack Biyombo that did not look like the makings of a friendly meet-up. There were a handful of dust-ups throughout the one-sided affair that could have led to tempers flaring on the Mavs side.

The two players were separated by security after Marquese Chriss followed Bismack Biyombo into the tunnel.

We just want to win the game and that’s it. We’re trying to get one more win, and that’s our focus right now.” As McMenamin writes, several members of the teams’ security staffs – along with Mavs center Boban Marjanovic – ran after the two players.

All-Star guard Devin Booker scored 28 points and Deandre Ayton added 20 to help the Phoenix Suns defeat the Dallas Mavericks 110-80, earning them a 3-2 lead ...

Mavs star Luka Doncic was caught on camera calling Suns guard Devin Booker a 'pu**y a**' during Game 5 of their NBA PLayoff matchup.

His frustration boiled over in a viral moment caught on camera by ClutchPoints, as he called Suns star Devin Booker a ‘pu**y a**.’ Booker and the Suns were going to do whatever it took to emerge with the win, even if that meant attempting to get under the skin of Doncic and the Mavs with a little bit of extra defense during a stoppage in play. Of the Mavs’ 80 points, 49 of them were scored by Luka Doncic and Jalen Brunson. Needless to say, it was a frustrating night for Doncic, who found himself doing most of the heavy lifting for the night.

Devin Booker scored 28 points, Deandre Ayton added 20 and the Phoenix Suns beat the Dallas Mavericks 110-80 night to take a 3-2 lead in the Western ...

The No. 1 seed Phoenix Suns and No. 4 seed Dallas Mavericks face off on Thursday in Dallas in Game 6 of their NBA Playoffs series.

Warriors vs. Mavs vs. Celtics vs. Warriors vs. Mavs vs. Celtics vs. - 76ers vs. - 76ers vs. It writes: "In the most recent game in this best-of-seven series, the Suns beat the Mavs. They had a 50.85% field goal percentage, a 36% three pointer percentage, 8 rebounds and 27 assists. The Suns will dominate the paint but if Dallas can force more turnovers at home, that will test Phoenix a bit. For the upcoming game, the Suns are without Dario Saric (Knee). Torrey Craig (Elbow) will be questionable." Dallas will essentially need to out-shoot Phoenix in Game 6 to win.

The Western Conference semifinals series between the Suns and the Mavericks may just be stoking the flames of one of the best young rivalries in the NBA ...

Booker scored 28 points, and the Suns never looked back on their way to taking a 3–2 advantage in the series. Whether Dončić caught wind of Booker’s jab or not, the Mavs star was unsurprisingly frustrated after the Game 5 loss. The All-Star stayed down on the ground for quite a while, leading many to wonder whether he was actually hurt or just exaggerating the contact for the officials.

It took Devin Booker a little while to get the Suns into the NBA playoffs, to no fault of his own. Now, with Chris Paul, he is...

After helping the Suns make the 2021 NBA Finals, Booker overcame a hamstring injury to help Phoenix through the postseason. The Suns certainly gave Booker plenty of reasons to be angry through the first few years of his career. After years of the Suns’ front office failing him, he finally got a proper supporting cast and rose to the occasion.

The series is still on, as it returns to Dallas and the AAC on Thursday. And along with that? A rivalry between young All-Stars Doncic and Devin Booker is ...

In-game, Dallas forward Dorian Finney-Smith fouled Booker hard in the third quarter as the Phoenix guard was driving to the hole. After the game, was Doncic aware of Booker’s poke? A rivalry between young All-Stars Doncic and Devin Booker is on as well.

"These Suns have become quite the unlikable bunch," a Fox Sports host said after Phoenix's Game 5 win over the Dallas Mavericks.

When the team that wins Game 5 in a series tied 2-2, 82% of the time they go on, and Luka knows it, look at Luka. That is the very stat that was going through his mind with that look on his face. … It's not happening, Nick. The better team is winning and that is what happens over the course of a seven-game series. Ultimately the better team is shown and that is what we've seen now. "If you didn't watch the game, this was a really good game for a half and then the Mavs let go of the rope inexplicably to start the third quarter, 17-0 run and then the game's over," he said. They won Game 3 and Game 4 by never trailing after early first quarter, so the idea that Dallas was going to execute some 15-point second half comeback, they don't have the horses for that. "Phoenix is too talented and has too much of a discrepancy as far as player ability one through eight for you to get down double digits like that on the road and Dallas is simply not going to be able to overcome that.

Devin Booker was the Suns leading scorer with 28 points on 11-19 shooting, all by the end of the third quarter. Deandre Ayton added 20 points and 9 rebounds, ...

They have great shooters over there, and you just got to have a certain sense of urgency when you’re closing out to them.” Devin Booker, Mikal Bridges, Jae Crowder, Cameron Johnson, Deandre Ayton and Chris Paul all played better in their minutes on defense than they had most of the series, especially when isolated against the 6’8” 270 pound point guard Luka Doncic. And they gave Bismack Biyombo minutes ahead of JaVale McGee for his ability to defend on the perimeter in space better than the latter. We like getting stops, getting out in transition because we have a lot of athletes, a lot of people that can make plays for each other.” They took Cameron Payne out of the rotation (he’s too small to hold up against Luka Doncic in one-on-one situations), giving Landry Shamet and Devin Booker more of the minutes at secondary ball-handler. They trucked the Mavericks in the process, outscoring the Mavericks 80-42 from the 7:24 mark of the second quarter through the end of the game. Devin Booker was the Suns leading scorer with 28 points on 11-19 shooting, all by the end of the third quarter. I think that’s when we’re at our best, when we’re not taking the ball out of the hoop and having to play a slower-paced game. But the defense tonight was the backbone of our program.” That included a 52-22 run with mostly starters for both teams from mid-second quarter to the end of the third. A year ago we knew the Suns were very good but, after a decade without them, we were just happy to be in the playoffs at all. They won Game 5, and now have a 3-2 series lead for the 4th time in 5 tries.

The Phoenix Suns defeated the Dallas Mavericks 110-80 in Game 5 of their Western Conference Semifinals series on Tuesday to take a 3-2 series lead.

Between role players hitting shots, the Suns’ defense getting stops and the crowd being deafening, this is the point in the series where all the momentum shifted back to Phoenix. Dallas does not play center Dwight Powell very much and as a result, they go small with Maxi Kleber at the center position. Devin Booker is one of the best all-around scoring weapons in the league right now and with others getting involved and knocking down shots, Phoenix completely sucked all the energy and momentum out of the Dallas Mavericks franchise in Game 5. The Suns were one of the best offensive and defensive teams in the league this season, so a run like this is really not too surprising for them, especially against a mediocre offensive team like the Mavericks. The ball movement in this game was non-existent for Dallas and with them constantly playing one-on-one with Doncic at the top of the arc, Phoenix was able to slowly collapse their defense and focus in on the Mavericks All-Star because they knew he was not going to be giving the ball up. Perhaps the biggest thing that sticks out from this game is the fact that the Mavericks had nine assists the entire way and one assist came in garbage-time at the end of the game, so they really only had eight true assists.

The Phoenix Suns are one victory away from a second straight trip to the Western Conference finals.

"It's hard to win on the road. "We pride ourselves on the defensive end all year," Suns guard Devin Booker said. "In the last two games, our pace was very good. "The one thing we didn't do great was our pace," Doncic said. "It was the defense," Suns coach Monty Williams said of the reason for why his team pulled away. The Suns outscored Dallas 33-14 to take a 22-point lead into the final quarter.

The Phoenix Suns got their Western Conference semifinals matchup with the Dallas Mavericks back on track with a dominating Game 5 win on Tuesday night.

Booker added seven assists and four rebounds in the defeat. And while he didn’t necessarily find his shooting stroke on Tuesday night, going 3-of-8, the point guard dished out a game-high 10 assists in the Game 5 win. Despite a 35-point effort from Suns guard Devin Booker, the Suns were on the losing end of a double-digit Game 4 loss.

It's clear that Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker must be the engine that powers this team to a championship. He must be that dude. The alpha.

Booker has also raised the stakes entering Game 6 in Dallas. The video of Booker playing dead to mock Doncic has enraged the Dallas fan base. Especially since Booker and Paul are just as guilty of the insidious flopping and foul-hunting currently permeating the NBA. Booker came to the NBA with a polished jump-shot and a scorer’s mentality. “Even those seasons that we didn’t make it, I sat there and I took that anger to the gym and just imagined myself just being in those situations. He found himself burning so hot in the summer that he was famously double-teamed in pickup games. He deserves it. He’s learned to attack the basket with fury and power. He deserves credit for staying focused through all the darkness. He was the world’s most famous athlete, and he did his most important work in the hot shadows of summer. With Chris Paul marginalized by something unspoken, it’s clear that Booker must be the engine that powers this team to a championship. Every year in his prime, he came back a better player. There are many things to say about Booker at this juncture of the playoffs.

The Mavericks' 110-80 Game 5 loss to the Suns ended with some chippiness. First, with just over two seconds left in the game, Suns center Bismack Biyombo...

32/40Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (77) is fouled by Phoenix Suns forward Jae Crowder (99) during the first quarter in Game 5 of an NBA second round playoff series on Tuesday, May 10, 2022, in Phoenix, Ariz.(Smiley N. Pool / Staff Photographer) 28/40Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (77) shoots as Phoenix Suns center Bismack Biyombo (18) defends during the first quarter in Game 5 of an NBA second round playoff series on Tuesday, May 10, 2022, in Phoenix, Ariz.(Smiley N. Pool / Staff Photographer) 25/40Dallas Mavericks forward Davis Bertans (44) is fouled by Phoenix Suns forward Jae Crowder (99) during the second quarter in Game 5 of an NBA second round playoff series on Tuesday, May 10, 2022, in Phoenix, Ariz.(Smiley N. Pool / Staff Photographer) 24/40Dallas Mavericks guard Jalen Brunson (13) is fouled by Phoenix Suns guard Chris Paul (3) during the second quarter in Game 5 of an NBA second round playoff series on Tuesday, May 10, 2022, in Phoenix, Ariz.(Smiley N. Pool / Staff Photographer) 22/40Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (77) tries to lay the ball up as Phoenix Suns center Deandre Ayton (22) defends during the second quarter in Game 5 of an NBA second round playoff series on Tuesday, May 10, 2022, in Phoenix, Ariz.(Smiley N. Pool / Staff Photographer) 5/40Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (77) watches from the bench during the fourth quarter in Game 5 of an NBA second round playoff series against the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday, May 10, 2022, in Phoenix, Ariz.(Smiley N. Pool / Staff Photographer) 17/40Phoenix Suns guard Chris Paul (3) celebrates a 3-pointer with guard Devin Booker (1) during the second quarter in Game 5 of an NBA second round playoff series against the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday, May 10, 2022, in Phoenix, Ariz.(Smiley N. Pool / Staff Photographer) I don’t think it was a necessity to run in the back and try to chase me and fight me. I was like ‘there’s 30 seconds on the clock, is there a need for this?’ So I said ‘I’ll box you out then.’ 2/40Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (77) dives for a loose ball during the fourth quarter in Game 5 of an NBA second round playoff series against the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday, May 10, 2022, in Phoenix, Ariz.(Smiley N. Pool / Staff Photographer) Mavericks center Marquese Chriss took offense to the play and fouled Biyombo, preventing the easy two points. “The last 30 seconds they were shooting a free throw and — and I went and watched film to make sure that I was not wrong — he said that he was going to the offensive glass.

Phoenix and Dallas have proven the value of home-court advantage with a combined 5-0 record in their buildings so far.

So, we’ve got to go and move the ball at a better pace, faster. “They will live and die by the 3,” Ayton said. But as good as they’ve been throughout the regular season and the first 11 games of the playoffs, the Suns haven’t yet figured out a way to topple Dallas on its home court in this series. Yet in the games played at American Airlines Center, the Mavericks found a way to negate Phoenix’s vaunted defense, averaging 107 points in their two victories. “They held us to 80, and that’s pretty impressive. I know our fans are going to be amazing.” “I think one time we had three 3s in a row, but we missed them all. Then, in the third quarter of Game 5 alone, the Mavs committed 12 miscues, marking the first time since the New York Knicks in 2012 that a team finished a quarter with that many giveaways in the postseason. If they can’t win Thursday’s Game 6 at American Airlines Center in Dallas, they’ll return home to the friendly confines of Footprint Center for Game 7. “Defense, that’s what got us going,” Suns center Deandre Ayton said after Game 5. “We’ve worked our tails off to be in this position,” he said. It allows for you to create this opportunity and advantage.”

May 10, 2022; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker. Explosive third quarter ignites Suns. Takeaway 1. Phoenix truly dominated those 12 minutes ...

Following the Suns in their championship bid? The Suns still haven't taken full advantage of Dallas going small. Follow him on Twitter at @DuaneRankin. In a way, that overshadowed how subpar the Suns played in Game 4. Takeaway 4. We have to be better, and we will be.” McGee plays with energy, but when Dallas plays five out with no one in the paint, that can be a problem for him to contest shots outside of the lane. With Phoenix heading back to Dallas for Game 6, curious to see how he performs being back in the arena where his family went through a bad incident. The Suns big said before the game he needed to get back how he played in Game 1 when scoring 25 points. “We just have to be better. That was the difference in the quarter as the Suns showed they are the better team when taking their game to another level. Phoenix came out with a greater sense of urgency in the third, Dallas didn’t respond well to that and failed to contain Deandre Ayton or Devin Booker in the quarter.

Phoenix got great minutes from the likes of Deandre Ayton, Bismack Biyombo, Mikal Bridges, Jae Crowder, Cam Johnson and Landry Shamet. Dallas, meanwhile, had 21 ...

His ability to stay in front of the ball and be disciplined and not foul. Keep the ball in front by fighting through screens & sending drivers to the help. Shamet’s contributions on Tuesday were ginormous and it came with the sharpshooter going 1-of-3 from deep. Keep the ball in front by fighting through screens & sending drivers to the help. The defensive side of the ball was what I saw from him. Secondly, the Suns held Dallas to only two second-chance points after they allowed at least 15+ in the last three games. As I’ve said numerous times in this space the last calendar year, the Suns do not make the Finals last year without Payne’s strong play. Now, I can hear a few of you rolling your eyes already at the notion of benching Payne as “bold.” But here’s the thing. This is the Suns defense I am used to. “And then we know he can make shots. This is the Suns defense I am used to. Phoenix got great minutes from the likes of Deandre Ayton, Bismack Biyombo, Mikal Bridges, Jae Crowder, Cam Johnson and Landry Shamet. Dallas, meanwhile, had 21 points on 9-for-17 shooting from Jalen Brunson, and, erm, 10 points via Davis Bertans?

The Phoenix Suns are now one game away from their second straight appearance in the Western Conference Finals after blowing out the Dallas Mavericks, ...

As much as Phoenix would want to revel in their victory, the bottom line is that the pressure was on them to win. “We were running when we got stops, closing out possessions, and today, I felt like we were on the offensive boards a lot. And then once the crowd gets into it, you got to pray.” Paul’s words are not dismissive, because ultimately that is exactly what the messaging will be today and tomorrow from both team’s coaching staffs. This would be the Maverick's last points for over 5 full minutes as the Suns ripped off a 17-0 run and broke the game wide open. “All that stuff generated so much energy and momentum plays, man.

The Dallas Mavericks Western Conference Semifinal series against the Phoenix Suns has been a tale of two cities. In Game 1 and Game 2 in Phoenix, the Suns ...

But it is hard to trust them with the pressure of their season on the line. He is also one of the best pure scorers in the game today. Phoenix’s point guard has been held to single digits scoring in both of the last two games. I expect Kleber to play much better on both ends of the court in Game 6. Mavs superstar Luka Doncic is easily one of the best basketball players in the world. So, it will be important to get the right matchups. In Game 1 and Game 2 in Phoenix, the Suns were by far the better team. This game likely is going to come down to the fourth quarter. To Dallas’ credit, the team stuck together and flipped the script on Phoenix in Game 3 and Game 4. However, back in Phoenix in Game 5, things reverted back as the Suns won by 30 points. But guys like Dorian Finney-Smith, Spencer Dinwiddie and Davis Bertans need to get going offensively. He was 1-for-5 from the floor, finishing with four points and two turnovers.

The Phoenix Suns look to end what has been a heated best-of-7 series against the Dallas Mavericks in Thursday's Game 6 at American Airlines Center.

“When we played here (in Dallas), they played all the way to the end and I think that’s what they were trying to do,” Biyombo said after Wednesday's practice in Dallas. “And that’s understandable. “I said, ‘oh man,' but then I realized there’s cameras in the back and there’s not a need to, but again, look, it’s basketball. To start the game that way would be huge for us.” “I’ve been pretty adamant about the fans here have never been like that. “We’re going to be ready. “The first quarters have been huge for us, especially from the defensive side of the ball,” Suns coach Monty Williams said.

For Phoenix Suns general manager James Jones, there's no question that Devin Booker has been the team's MVP this season.

“It’s really hard to win on the road in general,” he said. “He will continue to get the credit that he’s due,” Jones said. “Jae is fine,” Jones said.

Mavs forward Marquese Chriss followed Suns center Bismack Biyombo through the tunnel after the pair were ejected late in Phoenix's Game 5 win on Tuesday ...

But when we looked at some of the matchups and the energy that 'Biz' brings to the game ... we just felt like [his] energy would allow for us to make energy plays. Prior to the ejection, Biyombo was a valued contributor off the bench, with Phoenix outscoring Dallas by 20 in the 21 minutes he played. He was supposed to exit through the tunnel on the opposite side of the court, leading to the visitors locker room. "I get the competitiveness of the game, but we're just trying to win the game," Suns coach Monty Williams said after the game. We just want to win the game and that's it. Biyombo turned around to approach Chriss, and Chriss pushed his arm away.