Paul has another stellar fourth, Suns blow past Mavs, 129-109
Chris Paul scored 28 points, including 14 in another spectacular fourth quarter, to lead the Phoenix Suns over the Dallas Mavericks, 129-109, on Wednesday night for a 2-0 lead in the Western Conference semifinals.
Paul — a 12-time All-Star who turns 37 years old on Friday — almost single-handedly turned a tight game into a comfortable victory, the Suns’ 11th in a row against the Mavericks (including regular-season games).
The Mavs led 60-58 at halftime but the Suns quickly recaptured the lead after Devin Booker hit back-to-back 3-pointers early in the third. The Suns took an 89-83 advantage going into the final quarter and it looked like a tough fight was coming.
But that’s about the time Paul decided the game was his to control, hitting six shots in a row on everything from 3-pointers to midrange jumpers to layups. The feisty Mavericks didn’t have an answer. Booker hit a pair of 3-pointers midway through the fourth to give the Suns a 114-95 lead.
Booker led the Suns with 30 points on 11-for-19 shooting, including 5 of 8 from 3-point range. The Suns shot 64.5% overall and made 52% of their 3-pointers.
Game 3 is on Friday in Dallas.
The Mavericks will go home in a 2-0 hole, desperately needing contributions from someone other than Luka Dončić, who scored 35 points on 13-for-22 shooting two nights after a 45-point performance in Game 1. Reggie Bullock added 16 points.
The Suns jumped out to a 9-0 lead for a second straight game, but the Mavericks had a better response than in Game 1.
Dallas slowly fought back and Spencer Dinwiddie hit a pair of free throws to tie the game at 38. Davis Bertans followed with a 3-pointer with 7:56 left in the second quarter to give the Mavs a 41-38 advantage and their first lead of the series.
The Mavs took a two-point lead after a foul-filled first half. Dončić scored 24 before the break on 9-for-14 shooting, including 4 of 7 from 3-point range. Crowder led the Suns with 15.
