The Phoenix Suns will host the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday night in a pivotal Game 5 as the teams break a tie in their second-round series. Dallas evened the series, 2-2, thanks to two home wins over the weekend. That includes Sunday's victory when the Mavericks knocked down 20 3-pointers.
So who will take the upper hand in the series? Can Luka Doncic lead Dallas to a road upset? Or will the defending Western Conference champion Suns get within one win of the 2022 Conference Finals? Here's everything you need to know about Tuesday's Game 5.
Suns vs. Mavericks Game 5
- Time: 10 p.m. | Date: Tuesday, May 10
- TV channel: TNT | Live stream: TNT app
- Odds: DAL +230; PHX -280; O/U: 215 (via Caesars Sportsbook)
Storylines
The big story of Game 4 for the Mavericks was their red-hot 3-point shooting in a 111-101 win. The Mavs made 20 triples as a team, and that's with Doncic going 1 for 10 on his long-range attempts. The non-Luka Mavs shot an astounding 19 for 34 on 3-pointers. Dorian Finney-Smith hit eight of his 12 attempts from beyond the arc, and Davis Bertans hit another four 3s. CBS Sports' Jasmyn Wimbush took a deeper look at Finney-Smith's impact here.
For the Suns, Chris Paul was essentially a non-factor in the Game 4 loss. Paul picked up four fouls before halftime and fouled out of the game in just 23 minutes, scoring five points on four field goal attempts. Devin Booker dropped 35 points in Sunday's loss, but he'll need more help if the Suns are going to advance.
Prediction
After 25 points in Game 1 of the series, Deandre Ayton has been relatively quiet for Phoenix. Expect the Suns to get their big man more involved, and for Paul to stay on the court and be around to make his usual difference in the fourth quarter. Unless the Mavs can shoot the lights out again, Phoenix should head to Game 6 with a 3-2 lead. Pick: Suns
