The Celtics and Grizzlies will be looking to pick up wins on Friday night in the hopes of sending their respective Conference Semifinals to a seventh and deciding game. But as we await the outcomes of those games, we can already look forward to one Game 7 — the Mavericks‘ home victory over the Suns on Thursday assured that the two teams will play a win-or-go-home contest in Phoenix on Sunday.
It has been an unusual series so far, with none of the first six games decided by fewer than seven points. The Suns have won their three home games by an average margin of 19 points per game, but have lost their three road games by more than 15 points per contest. Those home/road splits bode well for the NBA-best Suns, who earned home court advantage with their 64-18 regular season record and will host Game 7.
Still, they’ll be coming off their worst performance of the series, a 29-point blowout loss in Game 6. In Thursday’s Mavs victory, Luka Doncic reinforced his claim as the best player in this series, putting up 33 points, 11 rebounds, eight assists, and four steals while the Suns’ All-Star guards – Devin Booker and Chris Paul – combined for eight turnovers and just seven assists.
As Tim MacMahon of ESPN relays, it was the second game this series in which Paul recorded more turnovers than assists in a game, marking the first time in his career that he has done that more than once in a single postseason.
Suns head coach Monty Williams said after Thursday’s loss that his team didn’t match Dallas’ level of desperation. Starting center Deandre Ayton said Phoenix will have to adjust its intensity level for Game 7.
“It’s got to be a together thing where everybody is on the same page,” Ayton said. “And it wasn’t like that (on Thursday). There were a lot of mistakes. It felt like a regular season game, the amount of mistakes we had today. The turnovers, terrible, unacceptable. It was that type of game where it was just unacceptable, man. Them dudes, they wanted it more.”
The Suns are currently six-point favorites in Game 7, per BetOnline.ag, but if Doncic has another huge game and Booker and Paul aren’t at their best, there’s not a ton of room for error. The Mavs were one of the NBA’s best teams down the stretch – they had a better record than the Suns during the final two months of the regular season – and have shown by forcing a Game 7 that they won’t roll over easily.
What do you think? Will the Suns hang on and advance to the Western Finals for a second consecutive year, or will the Mavs pull off the upset?
Vote in our poll, then head to the comment section below to share your predictions.
You have to bet the farm on Phoenix right? In spite of all that’s gone on in this series it seems like the biggest no-brainer ever. I cannot see Dallas winning in game 7. All that to say I had Phoenix in 4 by the way LOL.
Absolutely not, loll. Phoenix is at home,making them a substantial favorite. I’d rather take the plus money on Dallas.
Yeah good point I wasn’t thinking about the spread just straight-up win or lose. Phoenix giving up six points.., I’ll still take the Suns.
With all these blowouts in playoff games including by both the Warriors and Grizzlies in the other series, it really shows the intensity necessary to be in these contests. If you let up even the slightest then the other team runs away with it.
Then if you dare not show up at all you could lose by 50. Warriors almost did the other night.
Mavs second best player
Tim Hardaway Jr do not play
Suns should win
Mavs are better team with THJ
You think thj is mavs 2nd best player???? Lol luka, Brunson, dfs, maxi and Kp (before traded) and even bullock are better than thj
No. Maybe Luka and Brunson. THJ is our third best scorer and our third best player.
KP is not Mavs
THJ has two times more salary than anyone in your list
Maybe 5 times more than two of them
And Westbrook has a few times more salary than any of them, salary means nothing.
Let’s go Mavs! They match up with Phoenix well. Doncic, Brunson and Dinwiddie stack up with Paul, Booker and Payne. Dodo, Bullock and Bertans stack up with Bridges, Crowder and Cam. Ayton and McGee get the edge over Powell and Kleber.
The big X factor is how Dallas has schematically adjusted while Phoenix has doubled down on what they’ve done all season and refuse to tactically budge. Putting Bullock on Paul and pressing him full court was really smart. Forcing Crowder to win the game outside by doubling down and hedging on Booker is also sound logistically. If Dallas takes care of the ball (they need to let Brunson run the offense more) and can keep Phoenix off the offensive boards, it’s on to Round 3! A tall order, though.
Refs will be on Phoenix’s side for their home court.
Scott Foster needs to be the ref in this game
You may get your wish. He had to opt out of tonight’s Mil-Bos game.
Rooting for Mavs but can’t see them winning
Suns haven’t looked dominant in the playoffs. A play in team nearly pushed them to 7 games and Mavericks have equalized the series.
Mavericks need to defeat old man CP3. Booker is not a leader.
What team has looked dominant in these playoffs?
Come on!!!! The Suns have the Point God. Case closed!
There’s no way Mavs should be in a gm 7. Yet here we are. I have Suns going all the way this yr. Since last year really. But with Luka and way Mavs have played. Maaaaannn
Suns better show up.
No one can ever bet against Luka in a win or die game, he is the biggest winning guy I have ever seen, he does whatever it takes to win… PHO has no one to do that, DAL will go through!
Maxs got 47% of the vote— more than the line (or me) would predict. Doncic must be picking up believers.
Or Bullock. I did not like him on the Knicks, after all his injury no-shows, but now (apparently) he is following the NBA trend of gaining notoriety by focussing on being the coverage star.
So it’s 75-36 in the third quarter of game 7. This has to be one of the most epic catastrophes in the history of the Phoenix Suns, let alone game 7 playoffs history.
I think Dallas defense has really shown itself to be playoff Worthy. It’s Luka and a bunch of guys. It’s not like they have a bunch of all stars. But desire and defense and hustle has turned this game seven into an epic blowout. I would have lost my entire Fortune if I was a Gambling Man. Good thing I’m not LOL.
On a side nope I’m glad to see the Suns go down.., I can’t stand Chris Paul’s crap. In fact I think I thought of a nickname…
“Can’t Win It All Chris Paul.” LOL
Second side note. The way Dallas is playing I’m afraid the Warriors have their hands full. Is Dallas finals bound? Wow, going to be a great week next week starting on Wednesday.