We left Mavs and Suns on a big duel between Luka Doncic and Chris Paul, won by the latter. That night, a third man was invited into this duel from a distance: Devin Booker. After four missed matches, the back made its comeback. A winning comeback since Booker, not content to register 20 of his 24 points in the second half, took out the winning shot less than two seconds from the end, to inflict a sixth straight loss to the Texans.
After the meeting, Rick Carlisle, who takes responsibility for not having used the last fault his team had on the victorious possession of the Suns, to feed regrets. Because as in the meeting a few days ago, Dallas has long been in the lead. After a first quarter in perfect balance (22-22), the premises, who rely on Kristaps Porzingis tonight and record the return of Maxi Kleber, begin to escape the score.
Chris Paul, le festival
While Luka Doncic did not register his first shot in the game until halfway through the second quarter, the Slovenian made the difference in fixing by twice finding his pivot, Willie Cauley-Stein. But the latter is much less comfortable on the other side of the field, to defend on the many “picks-and-rolls” which Chris Paul takes advantage of.
It’s simple, in this second quarter, “CP3” is unplayable. Thanks to his small characteristic “fadeaway” at four meters as well as a good address behind the arc, the leader scored 16 points in this period. The concern is that he still lacks support, so that Dallas, carried by his duo Doncic-Porzingis, keeps the lead at the break (53-47).
The two leaders are well supported by a very incisive Josh Richardson in his penetrations, to finish with his best mark of the season, as well as a Tim Hardaway Jr. obviously not so unhappy to have given way in the five to the returning Maxi Kleber. While Booker rises in temperature as Paul continues his beautiful evening, Phoenix is still up to 11 units behind in this third quarter (66-77), the biggest gap of the match.
A stifling “money time”
Phoenix manages to pick up without difficulty so that the last quarter looks promising and hotly contested. It’s the case. Dallas is still two points ahead (101-99) with less than three minutes from the end when Porzingis violently pushes back Deandre Ayton, the rebound man of the evening (17 takes), who intelligently prefers to bring out the leather towards Devin Booker in three points and it fits.
Hardaway answers him from the same distance, then “CP3” goes from his “jumper”. The two teams do not leave each other in this “money time” (104-104). His team again led by two points, Chris Paul colds the entire defense of the Mavs to afford a completely open layup. No doubt surprised, he misses the target … But his team manages to afford one last possession where the same Paul delivers the caviar of the match for Booker out of the screen who scores his very complicated shot despite Richardson’s outstretched hand. Doncic will have an even more complicated but missed final shot.
Third victory in a row for the Suns (11v-8d) who continue their trip to New Orleans on Wednesday. The Mavs (8v-13) will try to react in Atlanta the same evening.
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