The Phoenix Suns looked a lot like the No. 1 overall as they made the Dallas Mavericks relatively easy Monday night and held onto a 121-114 win in Game 1 of their second round series. Game 2 is scheduled for Wednesday night in Phoenix.
Just 14 seconds into the game, Chris Paul hit a mid-range jumper to give the Suns a lead they would never give up. It took them less than five minutes to extend their lead to double digits, where it would remain for most of the game. The Mavericks stayed competitive throughout, using a run late in the fourth quarter to make the bottom line respectable, but it never seemed like they would actually win.
Deandre Ayton was great against the Mavericks’ small frontcourt and finished the game with 25 points and eight rebounds on 12 of 19 from the field, while Devin Booker had 23 points, nine rebounds and eight assists. Cameron Johnson added 17 points from the bench as the Suns shot over 50 percent from the field for the game.
Luka Doncic led the Mavericks, just missing a triple-double with 45 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists. He scored or assisted in 23 of the Mavericks’ 40 field goals. This was his sixth career 40-point playoff game.
Here are some key takeaways from the game:
1. Suns go from cable to cable with machine-like efficiency
On the game’s first three possessions, the Suns got a mid-range jumper from Chris Paul, a steal and slam from Mikal Bridges, and a runout layup from Devin Booker. A few minutes later Jae Crowder hit a 3-pointer from a pick and pop and suddenly it was 9-0.
The Suns would maintain that lead for the rest of the game. While their defense is often praised, and for good reason, it was their machine-like efficiency on offense that proved to be the difference on this occasion. There were a few stretches where the Mavericks got hot from 3-point land and Luka Doncic started walking, but none of that mattered because the Suns got what they wanted on offense.
That was a classic Suns performance: 50.5 percent from the field; 39.3 percent of 3-point country; nobody above 25 points, but seven different players with at least nine; only nine turnovers as a team. The Suns obviously have some great players, but this isn’t an all-time super team that surpasses you in talent. Rather, they stick to their system, play their roles and just don’t give up.
2. Ayton makes Mavericks pay
It took Deandre Ayton over four minutes to get his first basket – an and-one layup off a feed from Devin Booker in the pick-and-roll – but once he was on the board there was no stopping him. He finished with 25 points and eight rebounds on 12 of 20 from the field in one of his best performances of the postseason.
Since trading Kristaps Porzingis, the Mavericks have evolved into an extreme small-ball approach. As a result, they’re very difficult to defend, but they also give up a lot of size on the other side, and Dwight Powell and Maxi Kleber are at a huge disadvantage against centers like Ayton, who can actually score the ball.
Ayton had three dunks and was 9 of 15 in the suit. Even if he wasn’t in the best position or slightly mishandling a pass, he could just rise and shoot over the smaller Mavericks defenders. Judging by Game 1, Ayton is going to be a big problem this series and it seems the Mavericks don’t have many ways to slow him down.
3. Doncic’s brilliance is not enough
A calf strain kept Luka Doncic out of the first three games of the postseason, and even now he doesn’t seem to be at 100 percent. But even a tied Doncic is better than most players in the league, as he once again proved with a tremendous performance in game 1.
Doncic was the only one who could start something early as he scored 14 of the Mavericks’ 25 points in the first quarter. Despite his hot start, they were 10 down at the first break. That was the theme of the game, as the Slovenian’s solo performance fell short.
He finished with 45 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists on 15 of 30 from the field in over 44 minutes and recorded his sixth career 40-point game in the playoffs. No one else in NBA history has more games like this before the age of 24. He either scored or assisted on 23 of the Mavericks’ 37 field goals scored (62.1 percent) while on the court.
Even acknowledging that Doncic picked up a ton of points on a failed comeback attempt late in the game, it probably doesn’t bode well that he nearly set up a 40-point triple-double and the Mavericks were easily outplayed. Either he has to put together four superhuman performances or someone else at the Mavs has to make sure they win this series.