There is plenty to celebrate for the Dallas Mavericks after winning their first playoff series in 11 years by eliminating the Utah Jazz. However, the celebration will not last long as now they face a monumental challenge in round two, with a series against the top-seeded Phoenix Suns.
Phoenix finished the regular season with the NBA’s best overall record at 64-18, the best record at home (32-9), and on the road (32-9). They earned the top seed by having the fifth-best offensive rating (114.2) and the third-best defensive rating (106.8) during the regular season.
“No one is going to favor us or give us a chance in this series,” Mavericks Head Coach Jason Kidd said. “We’ve just got to take one possession at a time, continue to have fun, execute, and play hard and see what happens.”
The Suns are led by arguably the best guard duo in the NBA with All-Stars Chris Paul and Devin Booker. Booker is considered a top-five MVP candidate, while the 36-year-old Paul is in top form, as he made 14-of-14 shot attempts in Phoenix’s Game 6 closeout win over the New Orleans Pelicans in round one.
The Suns’ talent does not stop with Paul and Booker, as their roster is incredibly well-rounded. DeAndre Ayton is regarded among the league’s best centers. The 7-footer averaged 20.5 points and made 70% of his shot attempts in the opening round. Mikal Bridges, Jae Crowder, and Cameron Johnson all excel in their roles as efficient three-point shooters who play solid defense.
Bridges especially excels on the defensive end. He was the runner-up to Boston’s Marcus Smart for defensive player of the year. The 6’6″ Bridges will likely be the primary defender on Luka Doncic the entire series.
“I think it’s going to be a big challenge for me,” Doncic said. “They have [Mikal] Bridges. I know he’s going to be on me. He’s the best, if not maybe top-two, guard defender. I think maybe him and [Marcus] Smart. Really, it’s tough against him. His defense is amazing. It really impresses me.”
Bridges’ defense will undoubtedly pester Doncic, and the Mavericks will need to be mindful of protecting the ball. Phoenix averaged 8.6 steals per game in the regular season and forced 14.7 turnovers.
“The biggest thing is we have to take care of the ball,” Coach Kidd said. “We can’t turn the ball over against them. If you turn it over, they’re running for threes or layups, and that just puts you in a bad situation. We got to continue to take care of the ball and understand that the first matchup might not be the one we want. Just be patient to get the matchup we want.”
Phoenix has owned Dallas over the last three seasons, as the Suns have won nine straight meetings. The last time the Mavericks beat Phoenix was November 29, 2019.
In their three wins against Dallas this season, the Suns averaged 108.7 points and made 46.9% of their shot attempts, compared to the Mavericks’ 101 points and 42% shooting. However, Doncic did not play in the first two meetings, a 105-98 game on November 17 and a 112-104 game on November 19, both in Phoenix. Despite being without their best player, who was nursing left knee and ankle sprains, the Mavericks held leads in the fourth quarter of both games but could not hang on for the win.
Doncic played in the third matchup this season, a 109-101 home defeat on January 20. Doncic scored 28 points, pulled down eight rebounds, and had eight assists, but he made just 39.1% of his shot attempts, including 22.2% from three-point range.
However, the Dallas roster was significantly different in that third matchup. It was a few days before starter Tim Hardaway Jr. broke his left foot and a few weeks before the Kristaps Porzingis trade that brought guard Spencer Dinwiddie and forward Davis Bertans to the team.
One area where Phoenix has an advantage is playoff experience. Last season, the Suns won the Western Conference before losing to the Milwaukee Bucks in the NBA Finals.
“It’s going to be really tough,” Doncic said. “They’re the No. 1 team in the NBA. They went to the Finals last year. So, it’s going to be really tough for us. I think we have to play great games to beat them — almost perfect games. We just did the scouting, we’re going to follow the game plan, and we’ve got to play hard.”
Dallas will start the second round against the Suns at 9 p.m. CT Monday in Phoenix. TNT will broadcast the game.