Mavericks win Game 3: In Dallas, there will be no “Suns in 4!”
Despite foul problems, Jalen Brunson scored 28 points and Luka Doncic added 26 points to lead the Dallas Mavericks to a 103-94 Game 3 win against the Phoenix Suns in front of a sellout crowd of 20,777 at American Airlines Center.
Devin Booker made five blunders as fourth-seeded Dallas scored 22 points off 17 Phoenix mistakes. The Suns lead the best-of-seven Western Conference semifinal series 2-1.
The fourth and final game is scheduled for Sunday afternoon in Dallas. The fifth and final game will be played on Tuesday in Phoenix.
Jae Crowder led the top-seeded Suns with 19 points, shooting 5-of-9 from 3-point range, while Booker added 18.
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Reggie Bullock
Despite the numbers, the Suns drew within eight with 1:09 remaining, but Reggie Bullock countered with a 3 with 55.9 seconds left, resulting in a Suns timeout.
Doncic was fouled for the sixth time in the fourth quarter, with Dallas leading by 17 points with 8:07 remaining. Mikal Bridges’ transition jumper with 5:04 left in the game brought the Suns within 11 points.
The Suns trailed by 15 at the conclusion of three as Brunson had 24 points on 9-of-19 shooting after scoring 21 on 9-of-28 shooting combined in Games 1 and 2.
With 5:14 left in the third, Doncic picked up his fourth foul, putting Dallas up 71-55. He didn’t play the rest of the quarter, but Phoenix was behind by 15 points, 82-67, entering the fourth.
Phoenix trailed by as many as 14 points before finishing the first half on a 10-3 surge to close the gap to seven points, 51-44, at the half
The Suns took a 13-7 lead before Dallas took a 19-3 run to take a 26-16 lead.
Paul had seven turnovers in the first half. His postseason career-best is eight, which he achieved in 2012 against the San Antonio Spurs while playing for the Los Angeles Clippers.
San Antonio Spurs while playing for the Los Angeles Clippers
Dallas scored 10 points as a result of the eight turnovers, with Booker committing the other.
As a consequence, Dallas only committed one turnover in the first half, which resulted in no points for Phoenix. When the two statistics are added together, Dallas attempted 51 field goals. Phoenix hauled merely 37.
The Mavericks and Suns shot 44.4 percent and 44.7 percent, respectively, but Dallas made six more field goals.
Torrey Craig, who sustained an elbow injury late in Game 2, did not play for the Suns.
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