National Basketball Association

Dončić, Mavs storm Suns, even series at 2-2

Updated May. 8, 2022 10:26 p.m. ET

Luka Dončić scored 26 points and the Dallas Mavericks took advantage of foul trouble for Chris Paul to beat the Phoenix Suns 111-101 on Sunday, evening the Western Conference semifinal series at 2-2.

Paul was out of Game 4 early in the fourth quarter, the period when he often dominated the Mavericks during an 11-game winning streak that ended with consecutive home victories for Dallas.

Game 5 is Tuesday night in Phoenix.

Dorian Finney-Smith scored a playoff career-high 24 points on the most 3-pointers he's had, regular season or playoffs. He was 8-for-12 from deep, including consecutive 3s for a 14-point lead midway through the fourth.

"Luka told me when I had five 3s, he told me, ‘You're about to get some more,'" said Finney-Smith, who finished one shy of the Dallas franchise playoff record of 9 3s by Jason Terry in the Mother's Day rout of the Lakers. "When LD tells you you're about to get some more 3s, I figured I was going to get some."

Dallas matched its 20 3s (20 of 44) from a Mother's Day rout of the Los Angeles Lakers in 2011, a win that completed a four-game sweep in the second round on the way to winning the NBA championship. The Mavericks are playing beyond the first round for the first time since then.

Devin Booker scored 35 points for the Suns, who dropped two straight on road with a 2-0 lead just as they did in last year's NBA Finals. Milwaukee won the last four to take the title.

Top-seeded Phoenix lost consecutive games for the first time in the playoffs.

Turnovers were the story with Paul in Dallas' Game 3 win, when the 37-year-old had the most in any half for his playoff career with seven before halftime.

This time it was fouls, and it started when coach Monty Williams put him back in the game with three in the final minute of the first half. Paul picked up his fourth just before the halftime buzzer when he tried to rebound his own miss and bumped Dončić.

"I saw he was going for the rebound and I was surprised," Dončić said. "He said to me, ‘Did I push you that hard?' I said, ‘No, not that hard. But it was a smart play.' And he said, ‘Yeah, I know.'"

Just two and a half minutes into the second half, Williams had no choice but to use his challenge when Paul stopped and backed into Jalen Brunson as Paul started bringing the ball up the court. The fifth foul was upheld on review.

The sixth also came against Brunson just a minute and a half after Paul had returned in the fourth. Paul finished with five points.

"Everybody's got to take ownership, and it starts with me," Williams said. "I made some decisions tonight that put us in a tough spot. Should have kept Chris out of the game, especially right before halftime. And then as a team, we've got take ownership as far as guarding the ball so we don't have to help as much."

Booker kept the Suns close into the fourth quarter despite long stretches without his backcourt mate, but Dončić eventually wore Phoenix down with post-ups and other drives for buckets or assists. He had 11 assists.

Reporting by Associated Press.