DALLAS — After coming up empty in Arizona, the Dallas Mavericks entered Game 3 of the Western Conference semifinals looking for answers and found them at home. The team came out with a focused mindset looking to make it a series after being embarrassed in Phoenix.
With the home faithful providing a pep to their step, the Mavs took it to the Suns aggressively, with Jalen Brunson and Luka Doncic mercilessly attacking the rim on the way to a 103-94 win that gave Dallas their first glimpse of hope that they can slay the Western Conference’s top seed.
While not quite a blowout victory, Dallas led comfortably the entire way to allow them to enjoy their first win in a semi-final match-up since the Mother’s Day massacre of the Lakers in 2011, and the first of Doncic’s career.
Doncic was troubled by some questionable foul calls and still finished the game just shy of a triple-double, with 26 points, 9 assists, and 13 rebounds in 34 minutes. As is the question every game, Brunson and Reggie Bullock were up to the task of being Doncic’s wingmen.
After starring in the opening round series win over the Utah Jazz, Brunson helped to establish the Dallas gameplay of driving and finding an open teammate. Tasked with mirroring Suns’ star guard Chris Paul, Brunson enrolled everyone in a master class on creating separation from his defender to find his shot. Bullock, meanwhile, chipped in with 15 points in a team-leading 41 minutes.
Overall, Brunson scorched the Suns for 28 points and turned the ball over once, looking determined to change the series. With Doncic becoming unavailable for portions of the contest due to foul trouble, this was the game to have that performance.
Brunson’s resurgence and the defense provided by Bullock and Dorian Finney-Smith marked the difference in getting back in the series for Game 4 instead of facing a sweep. Finney-Smith had three crucial steals while Bullock’s +/- of +15 was second only to Doncic at +20.
Now comes the hard part. The Suns took the Game 3 haymaker that Dallas threw on Friday and will be looking to come out on Sunday with a counter punch. The Mavericks have to show that they can do it all over again before the series returns to Phoenix.
Game 4 looms large as a loss would allow the Suns to close it out at home where the Mavs haven’t won since Nov. 29, 2019. The Mavericks did what they had to do to climb back into the series but it’s on them to continue their defensive clamp on Paul and Devin Booker. Paul in particular was locked down in Game 3 as he had his worst turnover performance of the year and only contributed 12 points.
Doncic and Booker have been jawing at each other during the entire series, so you can be certain that the Suns will continue to poke, prod, and attack Dallas' best player in the hopes of baiting a reaction.
The reasons for trying to get under Doncic’s skin is clear as the young All-NBA performer is averaging 35.3 PPG, 10 rebounds, and 8 assists in this series and he has been more than willing to bark back. However, he will need to keep his composure to allow him to stay out of foul trouble and give the Mavs a shot at evening up the series.
You might not realize it, but Dallas' third leading scorer in this series is Maxi Kleber, who is averaging 14 per contest and shooting 47% from beyond the arc. With Brunson carrying the load as option B, Kleber has quietly provided Dallas with clutch bursts of offense off the bench and he even came through defensively with three blocked shots in Game 3.
Dwight Powell, meanwhile, has seen his minutes dwindle in favor of Kleber and Finney-Smith, so more calls to Kleber at Powell’s expense could give the Mavericks a chance at a favorable outcome.
With the elite guard combination of Paul and Booker combining for 44 points in this series, a continual effort from the non-Doncic Mavs will be necessary to ensure that this series will, at minimum, see a return trip to Dallas.
Is a series split in the cards for the Mavs in Game 4? Share your predictions with Irvin on Twitter @Twittirv.