The NBA Playoffs continue this weekend live on Sky Sports with Dallas Mavericks hosting Phoenix Suns in Game 4 on Sunday evening at 8.15pm on SS Arena and SS YouTube; then we have Miami Heat going to Philadelphia 76ers from 12.30am overnight on SS Mix, Arena & Main Event
Monday 9 May 2022 07:01, UK
Reggie Bullock says, "Two can play that game" when it comes to deploying the tactics the Phoenix Suns used to hunt Luka Doncic on the defensive end in Game 2 of their Western Conference semi-final.
Dallas proved as much in a 103-94 Game 3 victory that sets up Sunday's opportunity to tie the series at two games apiece when the Mavericks host the Suns at American Airlines Center, live on Sky Sports Arena and Sky Sports YouTube and website from 8.15pm.
"They want to bring our star player up to play defense, and we're gonna bring their star players up to play defense too," Bullock said. "It's just gonna have to be like that, and [we'll] see who wins the battle."
Phoenix drew first blood over Games 1 and 2 by executing sets to bring up Doncic into screen after screen, which eventually wore out the superstar down the stretch after all the effort exerted on both ends of the floor. Dallas turned the tables in Game 3 by playing Doncic in the post early, which in turn, kept him fresh while providing opportunities for shooting guard Jalen Brunson to attack downhill against veteran Chris Paul.
Doncic took the same approach against defensive stopper Mikal Bridges, and bullied him in the paint, which likely limited the wing's effectiveness on offense, considering he shot 5-for-14 on the night.
On the other end of the floor, Reggie Bullock harassed Paul mercilessly. The Suns point guard committed six of his game-high seven turnovers in the first 17 minutes of action, while three-time All-Star Devin Booker contributed another five giveaways.
Dallas coach Jason Kidd told Bullock heading into Game 3 to "continue to pressure, continue to catch and shoot, and if you get tired, ask for [a rest]. Don't wait to where you're exhausted to the point where defensively it hurts our team." That led to a three-steal performance from Bullock, who also chipped in 15 points on the offensive end as Doncic's entire supporting cast stepped up in a major way after limited contributions over the first two outings of this series.
Dallas essentially punked Phoenix in the paint, outscoring the Suns 50-32, while also besting the visitors in second-chance scoring, 16-10. Uncharacteristically, Phoenix misfired on a whopping 30 shots from the paint and coughed up 17 turnovers leading to 22 points for Dallas.
"Offensive rebounds, turnovers, I think we tallied it up to 38 points off of those two categories," said Phoenix coach Monty Williams.
"Just felt like they brought a great deal of effort along with them coming up with those tip-outs or 50-50 balls. When you see us at 94 points and 23 assists, that's just not a typical game for us. But they brought it. From the jump, you felt the physicality. Their attempts to go to the basket and get offensive rebounds I thought put us in the mud a little bit because we couldn't come up with the ball and get out and run. Then, we just kept giving them extra possessions. In all those categories, we'll be better on Sunday."
Either way, the strategies employed by both teams throughout the series set up an intriguing chess match going into Game 4, between a pair of coaches that have proven highly effective at adjusting.
Sitting to Booker's right after Friday's loss, Suns forward Jae Crowder put on a pair of diamond earrings and snickered at the superstar's response to a question regarding the team's ability to find a rhythm in Game 3.
"[It's] understanding that we've been in series before," Booker said. "We were up 2-0 coming to their home floor, and the people want to see more basketball games. So, we're gonna play some more basketball games."
Next on the horizon is Game 4 which could be the game the series hinges on. If Phoenix were to gain a 3-1 lead that would probably be insurmountable for Dallas with two home games for the Suns still to come.
Key notes: The Suns fell short of 50 per cent shooting for the first time in the playoffs in Game 3, finishing at 45 per cent to end an eight-game run. They also had a hard time getting shots for Paul and Booker. The pair combined for just 22 shots while two complementary scorers behind Doncic, Dorian Finney-Smith and Reggie Bullock, attempted 21 3-pointers and made eight (four apiece).
Keep an eye on: Deandre Ayton's numbers were solid in Game 3 (16 points, 11 rebounds), but he wasn't the force that helped the Suns cruise in the series opener. His overall efficiency is down as well. Ayton is shooting 55 per cent against the Mavericks after finishing at 70 per cent in the six-game victory over New Orleans.
Injury watch: Dallas power forward-center Maxi Kleber keeps on plugging through physical challenges. He played 32 minutes after a scary fall on his back, shoulders and neck in Game 2. Then he came out of Game 3 with a little shadow under his left eye after a collision when he tried to block a dunk attempt from Mikal Bridges.
Pressure is on: The Suns don't even want to think about what happened the last time they had a 2-0 lead. It was the NBA Finals last year, when Milwaukee answered with four consecutive wins. Now's the time for the defending West champs to put the Mavericks on the brink of elimination in Dallas' first trip past the first round since winning the title 11 years ago.
The rush of live NBA Playoffs games continues on Sky Sports this week - see the list of games here and subscribe to watch the live action.
