PHOENIX (AP) – It was no surprise when Luka Doncic looked ready for Game 7, calmly drinking his first three shots to give the Dallas Mavericks an early lead.
The stun came in the next two hours: The Phoenix Suns, the top-ranked, had no answer.
Doncic scored 35 points, Spencer Dinuidi added 30 and the Mavericks defeated the Suns 123-90 by knockout on Sunday night, qualifying for the Western Conference finals for the first time since 2011.
“A lot of people said it was going to be a failure,” Mavs coach Jason Kidd said with a smile. “They were right.”
Of course, Dallas didn’t have to win on Sunday. The hosts won the first six games of the series, but the Mavs broke through, dominating a hostile environment from start to finish. On the contrary, it was an embarrassing absence for the playoffs of the Suns – who qualified for the NBA Finals last season with a very similar lineup.
“We played all season to be in this situation,” said Suns guard Chris Paul. – We didn’t succeed.
Fourth-placed Mavericks travel to face Golden State in Game 1 on Wednesday.
“I can’t get that smile off my face,” Doncic said. “I’m really happy. Honestly, I think we deserved it.”
Doncic gained an early lead for the Mavs by making his first three shots, including two three-pointers. This helped Dallas take a 27-17 lead in the first quarter and a whopping 57-27 at half-time break.
Doncic and Dinuidi, who came down from the bench, combined 48 of Mavericks’ 57 points. Doncic’s 27 points in the first half coincided with the Suns’ total.
Game 7 drama? Not in the desert.
“It’s still kind of shocking,” Dinuidi said.
Simply put, the Suns looked overwhelmed by the pressure of Game 7. They missed shots they usually make, made bad passes they don’t usually make, and didn’t look like the team that won the best 64 NBA games in the regular season.
“This group has a lot of character and integrity and I know how much they wanted it,” said Suns coach Monty Williams. “It simply came to our notice then. We couldn’t hit earlier, it confused us a bit and Dallas played its tails from start to finish. “
By halftime, many Suns fans were whistling on the ugly display.
The series may have been close, but the individual games usually weren’t. Three of the first six matches were decided by at least 20 points and none of the matches reached the final possession.
Game 7 followed a similar pattern, except that the team that did all the damage was the team on the road. The Mavs led the way with 46 points.
Doncic was fantastic, hitting the floor and finishing 12 of 19 off the field, including 6 of 11 in 3s. He also got a little help: Dinuidi was a star in the first half with 21 points in a 7 out of 10 shot, including 4 out of 5 out of 3 points.
They became the eighth pair of teammates to score 30 points in Game 7, the first since Shaquille O’Neill and Kobe Bryant in 2002.
Meanwhile, the back field of Paul and Devin Booker of all the Phoenix stars has never been a factor. The 37-year-old Paul is a 12-time All Star contestant who did almost everything in the game except win the championship.
After this failure, it is fair to wonder if there will be many more opportunities. Booker finished with 11 points and shot 3 of 14. Paul had 10 points and four assists. Suns shot only 37.9% of the field.
“You see, some of the pressure is on them early,” Kidd said. “They missed some of the punches they usually do.”
Dallas beat the odds with a win: After the Celtics beat the Bucks earlier Sunday, the home team was 110-33 (77 percent) in Game 7 of the NBA.
This is the second year in a row that the Suns have lost a playoff series after leading 2-0. They won the first two games against Bucks in the NBA Finals last season before losing four games in a row.
ADVICES
Mavericks: Doncic and Dinuidi were the first teammates to have at least 20 points at half-time in Game 7 since Patrick Ewing and Alan Houston made it to the Knicks in 1997, according to ESPN Stats & Info.
Suns: Phoenix shot just 6 of 23 (26.1 percent) off the field in the first quarter. … The Suns hosted another crowd of sales at the Footprint Center. Celebrities in attendance include baseball great Alex Rodriguez and rapper Lil ‘Wayne. … The Suns are the second team in NBA history to win at least 64 games in the regular season and not reach the conference finals. The other was the Mavericks in 2007 … Phoenix has never won a title since entering the league in 1968 … Deandre Ayton played just 18 minutes and finished with five points and four rebounds. Asked about Ayton’s lack of playing time, Williams said: “It’s inside.” Ayton did not speak to the media after the match.
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