Suns-Mavericks: Phoenix dominates for 40 minutes in Game 1, but late push could be silver lining for Dallas

Dallas looked helpless for most of the series opener in Phoenix, and then the team went on a massive run

The first possession was not a good sign for the Dallas Mavericks. The Phoenix Suns ran one of many variations of their patented "Spain" pick-and-roll, and none of the three defenders involved picked up Chris Paul. Their miscommunication meant that Paul started this second-round series with a wide-open jumper from the right elbow. It is somewhat surprising that Paul didn't close his eyes before shooting it. 

Soon thereafter on Monday, the Suns had a 9-0 lead, and then it was 20-6, a barrage of ball movement and transition points. By halftime of Game 1, Phoenix had scored 69 points, shooting 6 for 12 on 3s, 22 for 32 on 2s and 7 for 7 from the free-throw line, outscoring Dallas by 24 points in Paul's 13 minutes. Watch what Paul did to Dwight Powell on these switches and try not to feel bad for the big man: 

It was hardly just the Paul show. Devin Booker scored 13 of his 23 points in the first quarter, and Deandre Ayton scored 19 of his team-high 25 in the first half. When the Suns look their best, they are putting opposing teams in rotation, moving the ball from side to side and creating easy looks all over the court. 

"We sort of looked like ourselves as far as sharing the ball and guys making shots," Paul said. "And yeah, it worked."

The Mavericks tried having Dorian Finney-Smith and Reggie Bullock press Paul full court. Dallas varied its pick-and-roll coverages against Paul and Booker. For almost 40 minutes, nothing bothered Phoenix. The Suns flowed from one action to another quickly and purposefully, playing the kind of basketball that wears down an opposing defense over the course of a possession and a game. Ahead by 21 points after JaVale McGee dunked on a fast break, the offense was humming to the tune of 139.5 points per 100 possessions. 

"I liked the fact that we were not settling for the 3s tonight," Phoenix coach Monty Williams said. "A lot of our guys were attacking the paint. We were getting floaters, rim shots and then we were playing 'paint to great.' And that was the focus."

Maybe that's all that matters. The Suns led wire to wire, all their starters scored in double figures and Camerons Johnson and Payne provided the necessary punch off the bench. They had 27 assists on 46 made field goals, and they didn't even need to play Paul more than 29 minutes. Sure, Luka Doncic went off for 45 points on 14-for-30 shooting, but Jalen Brunson and Spencer Dinwiddie, Dallas' other playmakers, combined to finish with just 21 on 9-for-24 shooting. 

"Anytime a guy has 45, you look at that number and … you don't like it," Williams said. "But I look at their assist numbers: They only had 16. So [Maxi] Kleber hit some 3s, but for the most part nobody else got going the way that they're capable."

How you view Game 1, though, largely depends on how you view the eight minutes in which the Mavericks went on a 22-7 run, cutting their deficit to six points without a center on the court. Phoenix missed 16 of its 18 field goal attempts in this stretch, and, a few times, its formerly beautiful offense went stagnant against switches, resulting in difficult, contested, late-shot-clock jumpers.

"We didn't handle the switches like we have been when teams have done that to us," Williams said. 

It is possible that Dallas unlocked something down the stretch of its 121-114 loss, with Finney-Smith as the "center" next to Bullock and three creators. "I thought Do was great at the 5," Kidd said. "He's showing that he's not just a wing player but he can also be a big." Kidd added that the Mavericks will "continue to put the lineup out there." 

Even as the Suns' lead dissipated, though, you could see them figuring things out. Dallas deserves credit for fighting back, but, in order to get as close as it did, Phoenix had to miss several shots it normally makes: 

Given that the Mavericks started the game scoring seven points in seven minutes, the 35 they scored in the fourth quarter were likely more significant than the amount they gave up. Dallas spread the Suns out, capitalized on transition opportunities and, while Doncic was sensational, he was not the only one putting pressure on the defense. 

For the Mavs to make Phoenix uncomfortable in this series, they must keep all of that up regardless of which lineup they have on the court. Smallball might throw the Suns off balance for a little while, and it could even prove to be Dallas' best option, but it's nothing they haven't seen -- and sliced up -- many times before.