LOS ANGELES, United States — The
Dallas Mavericks
rained 20 three-pointers and again neutralized Phoenix point guard Chris Paul
to beat the top-seeded Suns 111–101 on Sunday and knot their NBA playoff series
at two games each.
اضافة اعلان
Star guard Luka Doncic scored 26 points and
Dorian Finney-Smith
added 24 for Dallas, who have won two games at home to level the best-of-seven
Western Conference matchup after dropping the first two games in Phoenix.
The Suns, who finished the regular season with the best
record in the league, will try to regain the advantage when they host game five
on Tuesday. It's guaranteed to shift back to Dallas for game six on Thursday.
The
Philadelphia 76ers also won a second straight game at
home to level their Eastern Conference series with Miami at two-all.
Former NBA MVP James Harden scored 31 points to lead six
Philadelphia players in double figures in a 116–108 victory.
Center
Joel Embiid, who missed the first two games with a
concussion and facial fracture, scored 24 points, his presence again making
things tougher for Miami defensively.
"The organization on offense, it helps a lot with him
on the floor," said Philadelphia's Danny Green, who made three
three-pointers on the way to 11 points. "Without him we look a little
discombobulated."
"James was incredible tonight for us," Green added
of Harden, who also pulled down seven rebounds and handed out nine assists in
his strongest showing of these playoffs.
Embiid carried the Sixers early, scoring 15 points in the
first quarter. Harden, who didn't score in the opening period, took over with
13 points in the second and Philadelphia took a 64–56 lead into halftime after
an opening half that featured 17 lead changes.
The Sixers, up 89–85 going into the fourth, pushed the lead
to 10 with less than six minutes remaining. Miami had cut it to five when
Harden drove to the rim for a basket then drained a three-pointer.
Embiid, still playing in a protective mask, grabbed an
offensive rebound and fed Tyrese Maxey for a dunk that made it 111–103 and
Harden made another three-pointer to push the lead to 11 with 1:07 left,
effectively sealing the win.
Harden scored 16 points in the fourth quarter as the Sixers
withstood a 40-point performance from Miami's Jimmy Butler.
"We know it's going to be tougher in their
building," Green said of game five looming in Miami on Tuesday.
"We've got to come in more intense, more focused."
In
Dallas, the Mavericks held off the Suns despite a poor
shooting effort from Doncic, who connected on just nine of 25 shots and just
one of 10 from three-point range.
Overall, the Mavs were on fire from beyond the arc, their
eight three-pointers in the first quarter helping them build a 37-25 lead.
Their 14 three-pointers in the first half tied a franchise
playoff record for three-pointers in a half.
They led 68-56 at the break and even more ominously for
Phoenix, veteran point guard Paul committed his fourth foul trying to make a
tip-in with 1.1 seconds left before half-time.
Paul picked up his fifth foul early in the third quarter and
headed to the bench. He returned with 10:28 left in the fourth and promptly
fouled out thanks to a hand to the arm of Mavericks guard Jalen Brunson.
A dangerous team
Devin Booker led the Suns with 35 points.
Jae Crowder added
15 and Deandre Ayton scored 14.
But the Mavericks bench out-scored the Phoenix reserves 36–26.
"This team was amazing," said Doncic, who was
outstanding but received little support in the Mavs' two series-opening
defeats. "Everybody that gets to the court leaves everything out there. If
we play hard and we get stops, we're a dangerous team."
While Doncic struggled with his shots, he added 11 assists
along with four rebounds. He also forced four steals as the Suns turned it over
17 times.
While Phoenix managed to cut the deficit to four points with
less than two minutes to play in the third quarter, the Mavericks repelled
every challenge.
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