Suns

Can Dallas really upset Phoenix? Breaking down how Jason Kidd's small-ball approach has the team on the verge of advancing to the conference finals.

They’ve found a winning rotation, and if you haven’t noticed, they have the best player in the series by a marked margin. The Mavericks are getting to the rim and creating open triples at will. Yet despite the home court, I have a creeping feeling we’re headed toward a potential upset to close out the weekend. Dallas finished 20th in defensive rating last season, surrendering 126 points in a Game 7 loss to the Clippers in a first-round matchup. Booker coughed up eight turnovers in Game 6–the Suns recorded 22 in total–and Phoenix was outscored by 30 points at the three-point line. Dwight Powell is now the only true rim runner in the rotation, and every non-Powell lineup pairs Luka Dončić with a quartet of spacers or secondary ball-handlers.

The Dallas Mavericks and Phoenix Suns face off on Sunday at the Footprint Center in Phoenix in Game 7 of their NBA Playoffs series.

Warriors vs. Mavs vs. Celtics vs. Warriors vs. Mavs vs. Celtics vs. - 76ers vs. - 76ers vs. There wasn’t a single close game in this series since the start of it, mostly because of the home crowd and all that comes with it. Game 5 was a Dallas dud, and the reason the game ended under this total. They'll win in the paint, on the glass, and likely keep the free-throw shooting ratio in their favor a bit more than Game 6. Other than that, the other two contests in Phoenix were free-flowing with plenty of offense.

DALLAS (AP) -- Luka Doncic has his first victory in an elimination game. Now the young Dallas superstar gets another one -- and another Game 7 to boot.

Suns: Ayton got a technical for elbowing Doncic in the face when Doncic fouled him on a dunk in the third quarter. The streak is actually 13 games going back to last season, including a playoff win at the Clippers after a 25-point loss at home. Paul wasn’t as bad as the seven turnovers in the first half of Game 3, the most he’s ever had in a half in a playoff game. Doncic played through an apparent left leg injury that sent him to the locker room when he would have been out of the game anyway in the second quarter. “I think we won this game on the defensive end,” Doncic said. The Phoenix miscues came after Dallas had 12 turnovers in the third quarter of Game 5 while getting outscored 33-14. I’m excited to be a part of it. “I’m excited to feel the energy. They shot a playoff-low 40% with 22 turnovers, the most all season. Dallas is playing beyond the first round for the first time since winning the title 11 years ago, when first-year coach Jason Kidd was the point guard. I think you guys call it the first time winning an elimination game. “I think he enjoys the moment.

Phoenix Suns stars Devin Booker and Chris Paul were not afraid to talk about a possible Game 7 match that will...

Both teams are 3-0 on their home court in the series — and the Suns have the pleasure of hosting Game 7 due to their league-best record in the regular season. Game 6 was a mess, and while that was acknowledge, they’re eagar to wipe the slate clean ahead of Sunday’s winner-take all contest. The Mavs dominated the Suns in all facets of the game f0r a 113-86 final.

In nine Game 7s throughout their history, the Phoenix Suns have gone 4-5 with a chance to advance in the playoffs since 1969-70.

We’re going to win one Tuesday and the next game’s Thursday. We’re going to win there and then we’re going to come back and we will win the series on Sunday. And everybody will say what a great series it was.” Barkley scored 44 points and added 24 rebounds, his second 40+ point game in the series. Trading off wins throughout the first six games, the Suns found themselves back at home for Game 7. The Western Conference Finals matchup between Seattle and Phoenix did not disappoint. Although the Round 1 matchup did not go seven games, it was a best-of-five series. Phoenix went on to lose in the NBA Finals in six games to Chicago. Los Angeles Lakers, Round 2 vs. 2005-06 No. 2 seed Round 1 vs. Phoenix went on to lose in the Western Conference Finals in six games to the Dallas Mavericks. The No. 1 seeded Phoenix Suns were facing a 2-0 deficit to the No. 8 seed Lakers. No team had ever come back from a 2-0 series deficit and no No. 8 seed had ever beaten a one seed. The Suns ended up winning Games 5 and 6 in convincing fashion before sending it back to Phoenix for a win-or-go-home. The Phoenix Suns will return to Footprint Center on Sunday for a Game 7 against the Dallas Mavericks after a 113-86 loss in Game 6 on Thursday.

Just after the Suns set a new franchise record last month with their 63rd win of the regular season, Al McCoy was finishing calling the game on local radio ...

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When is the next Suns game? Here's when and what time Sunday they play next in the 2022 NBA Playoffs vs. the Dallas Mavericks. Here's what channel.

The winner of the Suns vs. Mavericks series will take on the winner of the Golden State Warriors vs. Milwaukee series after defeating the Philadelphia 76ers in Game 6 of their series on Thursday night. Suns game will be at 12:30 p.m. Arizona time on Sunday and air on ABC. Phoenix game would be at 5 p.m. Arizona time on TNT. The Suns are a 6.5-point favorite over the Mavericks in Game 7 of their series on Sunday.

It's winner-take-all time for the Phoenix Suns and Dallas Mavericks in the 2022 NBA playoffs. Chris Paul and Devin Booker will look to get the Suns back to ...

Ayton has been too much to handle for the Mavs close to the hoop. The Mavs got out on the break and made them pay often in Game 6. Game 7 will be extremely important for Mikal Bridges, the Suns’ defensive anchor who has matched up with Doncic and largely failed to slow him down. The Suns have to come out with their best performance. It may be tempting for the Suns to throw everybody they can at Doncic and let everyone else beat them. It’s winner-take-all time for the Phoenix Suns and Dallas Mavericks in the 2022 NBA playoffs.

The Dallas Mavericks defeated the Phoenix Suns 113-86 in Game 6 of their Western Conference Semifinals series on Thursday to force a decisive Game 7 in ...

Not only did this result in Dallas taking advantage of the Suns defensively, but it also resulted in Phoenix having careless turnovers possession after possession. Phoenix made it to the NBA Finals last season because they took care of the basketball and had Chris Paul initiating their offense. Frustrations have set in for Phoenix and this was very apparent on Thursday night in Dallas. Having one last home game, Phoenix is going to be very confident, but they should absolutely be concerned after what Dallas did in Game 6. Normally the most poised team in the league, the Suns have shown signs of cracking in their mentality in this series and they have really struggled on the road as a result. Compared to shooting 54.3% from the floor and 42.4% from three-point range at home, the Suns have shot just 43.7% from the floor and 39.4% from three-point range on the road in this series.

Phoenix Suns PG Chris Paul is averaging 20.6 points, 9.9 assists and 5.9 rebounds with a 3-4 record in seven Game 7s in his career.

This was undoubtedly his worst performance in a closeout game, scoring 13 points, nine assists and four rebounds on 6-of-19 shooting. Paul added 26 points, 10 assists and five rebounds on 45% shooting in the loss. Rockets’ Josh Smith led a 40-15 quarter and forced a seventh game in the series.

The Phoenix Suns lost Game 6 to the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday night by a score of 113-86. Both teams remain undefeated (each 3-0) at home in the series, ...

- GIANNIS MEETS WITH MEDIA AFTER GAME 5 WIN: The Milwaukee Bucks picked up a win in Game 5 of their second-round playoff series against the Boston Celtics. The massive win on the road gave them a 3-2 lead in the series, and Giannis Antetokounmpo met with the media postgame.CLICK HERE. This season, they finished as the first seed in the Western Conference, and they also had the best record in the entire NBA. Chris Paul finished the loss with just 13 points, two rebounds and four assists, and he met with the media postgame.

At home, they are world beaters. On the road, they're discombobulated. Who is this team?

But the sheer fact that this team has put themselves in a situation in which they have to face Luka Doncic, who is the best player in the series, in a Game 7 is troublesome. The team is in disarray and their leadership is non-existent. In theory, and based on the way that the series is gone, the Suns should win Game 7 at home. The Mavericks are making 40.2 percent of their three-pointers at home, and the Suns are allowing them to make 16.3 three’s a game. He is not facilitating the offense, rather, he is throwing the ball away and not even seeing the floor. The team has an offensive rating of 127.2 and a defensive rating of 105.6. Their assist percentage is 60.1%. At home, the Suns are holding the Mavs to 43.8 percent shooting and 36.6 percent from deep. The lack of focus and energy we have seen from the Suns in this playoffs is laughable. This is a team that won 64 games and 78 percent of their games in the regular season. When playing at home, the Suns have been magnificent in this series. After an embarrassing loss in a closeout game opportunity for the Phoenix Suns at the hands of the Dallas Mavericks, Phoenix now find themselves in a situation in which it’s win or go home. This is one of the strangest playoff series I’ve ever seen.

The Dallas Mavericks forced a Game 7 in the Western Conference semis, blowing out the Phoenix Suns 113-86 on Thursday night to level the best-of-seven ...

Maybe, it wasn't a lot of time ... I don't think we played our best basketball." They have a great team, great guys overall. "They've had ups and downs the whole season. "Obviously, that's my guy," Embiid said. "And I'm not just talking about offensively. After the game, as he made his way to the locker room, Butler could be heard I thought, at times, he could have been, as all of us could have been, more aggressive. "I think he enjoys the moment. "They really be hyping me up out there and I just go play. All of us whether it was Tyrese (Maxey) or Tobias (Harris) or guys coming off the bench. "You guys have seen a little bit longer than I have up close. I try everything in my power to make sure that we win ... They just trust me with everything."

Sure, it would be nice to see Chris Paul throw up another 11-of-16 shooting night in Game 7 on Sunday like he showed in Game 2 of this very series just ...

74% is not 100%. Whichever team plays their best game of the series will win it. Whoever fails to show up, or comes up short in the clutch, will go home. Every NBA team is experiencing the euphoria of sold-out arenas screaming their support the whole game. Home teams are 17-5 so far in the second round. If you think the Suns defense in Dallas has been putrid, losing by an average of 15.3 points per game, wait till you read this: Playing on the road, as we go deeper into the playoffs, just simply sucks. In this second round, the eight remaining teams — representing the best of the NBA — are 5-17 on the road so far. Sure, you saw the Milwaukee Bucks somehow come back to beat the Boston Celtics on the road the other day, but those kinds of road comebacks are rare. But the playoffs are a whole different animal. In fact, they had the second-best road defense in the whole league this year. And his teammates had put the Suns up 3-2 on the Mavericks before last night’s stinker. He had put the Suns up 2-0 on the Mavericks before those weekend duds.

The Phoenix Suns head back home for a crucial Game 7 on Sunday against the Mavs. Chris Paul must step up in a big way.

Book has to show out in a big way in Game 7, there is no doubt about it. Paul must take a lot better care of the basketball and lead the charge for the Suns. He is one of the biggest reasons Phoenix is a solid three-point shooting team as well, finding lots of clean looks for the likes of Cam Johnson, Mikal Bridges, Jae Crowder, and even Booker at times. The Suns guard is one of the best PGs the NBA has ever seen. Monty Williams’ group trailed for most of the night and struggled to limit the Mavs’ efficiency from deep as they shot 41%. The Suns committed a total of 22 turnovers and frankly looked non-existent. Sunday is the big day, with a spot in the conference finals on the line. The Suns were absolutely blown out of the water in Game 6 on Thursday in Dallas, putting together one of their worst offensive performances of the season in a crushing 113-86 loss.

DALLAS (AP)Luka Doncic scored 33 points and the Dallas Mavericks beat the Phoenix Suns 113-86 on Thursday night to force a Game 7 in the Western Conference ...

The Suns have been off their game against Dallas. (So. Many. Turnovers.) But the Mavericks are flawed, too. They have one last game to get it together.

In Game 3, Paul and Devin Booker combined for 12 of them, more than the Mavericks. In Game 4, Booker had five. In 2020, he had 38 points in a Game 6 loss to the Clippers. Each game has a personality of its own and now it’s down to one game.” It has often looked as if the Suns were rushing their offense — unusual for a Paul-led machine. In Game 5, Phoenix’s best defensive performance of the series, Dallas shot 8 for 32 from 3-point range, a dismal 25 percent. One more off game from Paul, or a hot game from a Mavericks role player, and the Suns could be shown the door. During Thursday’s Game 6, Booker had eight, Paul had five and the Mavericks combined for just six. In a first-round Game 7 came against the Los Angeles Clippers last year, he scored 46 points in the loss. On Thursday night, the Suns had a chance to send the Mavericks home for the summer, only to lay an egg. Since then, he’s been dogged by foul trouble, had difficulty defending Doncic, and has only dished out six assists a game for the series after averaging 10.8 per game during the regular season. But the Suns have the edge entering Sunday’s game in Phoenix. They had the N.B.A.’s best home record at 32-9. None of the contests have been particularly competitive or come down to the final minutes.

Monty Williams has heard enough of the comparisons between last year's playoff run and this one for the Phoenix Suns. “You can't always say because this ...

Didn’t see Booker consistently attacking the paint and get to his pullup as he did in Game 5. Booker mocked him with “the Luka special’ line after laying on the floor from Finney-Smith’s body bump in Game 5. He only took two shots inside the arc. Following the Suns in their championship bid? So can Paul, but at their ultimate best, the Suns are moving the ball around. Follow him on Twitter at @DuaneRankin. The Suns not only shot 39.7% from the field, they committed 22 turnovers that led to 29 Dallas points. They were coming out of timeouts turning the ball over and taking bad shots. They had only 18 assists with Paul managing four and Booker registering three. He’s lost his last two. Paul scored 41 in Game 6 at the Clippers and went a perfect 14-of-14 for 33 points in Game 6 of his year’s first round in New Orleans. "Every series, and every game, has its own identity.”

The Phoenix Suns will host Game 7 of the Western Conference semifinals against the Dallas Mavericks at 5:00 p.m. on Sunday.

The Suns also hosted Game 7 in the first round of the 2006 playoffs, defeating the Los Angeles Lakers, 121-90. It is the first Game 7 the Suns have hosted since 2006 when Phoenix beat the Los Angeles Clippers in the Western Conference semifinals, 127-107. Game time was not determined until the result of Game 6 of the series between the Milwaukee Bucks and Boston Celtics.

The Phoenix Suns face the Dallas Mavericks at 5 p.m. Sunday on TNT. It's can't miss. Can Devin Booker and Chris Paul get it going? Will Luka Dončić?

This is not to say the NBA Playoffs should go back the the bad old days of the Detroit Pistons mugging whoever they played. But the officiating is bad drama, real “Manimal” type stuff. But no matter who you’re rooting for, the real absurdity is how players who get a light smack act like they’ve been hit with a sledgehammer. Which is what makes this not only great TV, but — obvious alert — the most important game of the Suns’ season. You just know something good is going to happen. You can pretty much always be confident that Dallas’ Luka Dončić is going to do something good every time he has the ball. Following the Suns in their championship bid? You can be supremely confident that if something good doesn’t happen, he’s going to complain about it. Speaking of whiners, the way NBA basketball is currently officiated really plays into their hands. Because if they don’t win this one, it’s the last game of their season. The Suns and Mavericks meet Sunday at 5 p.m. for Game 7 of their second-round NBA playoff series. The home team has won every game, often by a lot.

Phoenix is set to host Game 7 vs the Mavericks Saturday night. Here are our three bold predictions for the Suns.

Since Ntilikina entered the the rotation, Paul and Booker are a combined 3-for-40 from the floor. For the first time this series, it should come down to the very end. That came on the heels of a fantastic Game 2 performance when he dropped 28 points on 11-for-16 shooting. In the Suns three home wins this series, Booker is averaging 27 points per game on 49 percent shooting. Well, the budding rivalry between the Suns shooting guard and Doncic is going to get a massive shove Saturday night. One key difference since that point is the Mavs coach, Jason Kidd, has put Reggie Bullock on Paul. There are numerous factors that have led to the Suns losing three of the last four games in this series, and they need to be rectified. It would be smart for Suns coach Monty Williams to take the ball out of Doncic’s hands and force others to beat them. Did you see the smile from Suns superstar Devin Booker when he talked about playing in his first Game 7? But I have seen nothing from Booker that leads me to believe he will shrink in this moment. On the other side, Mavs superstar Luka Doncic is proving why he is considered one of the best basketball players in the world. The Phoenix Suns Western Conference Semifinals series against the Dallas Mavericks has been much more difficult than most expected it to be.

The last thing Chris Paul and the Phoenix Suns want to see in Sunday's Game 7 is Scott Foster.

If Foster ends up officiating Game 7, that “punch in the mouth” might be a little bit harder. Be ready to punch them in the mouth early. The Mavs desperately need their role players’ home production to translate to the road for just one game…