Phoenix Suns 101-111 Dallas Mavericks summary: score, plays, highlights, NBA Playoffs
Phoenix Suns at Dallas Mavericks: live
Suns @ Mavs: Headlines
- Dallas tie the series at 2-2
- Doncic and Finney-Smith dazzle for Dallas with 26 and 24 points respectively
- Bad night for Chris Paul as the veteran is fouled out
- The series now heads back to Arizona for Game 5 on Tuesday
Mavs get the W
The Dallas Mavericks tie the series with a solid win over Phoenix in front of a capacity crowd at the American Airlines Centre in Dallas.
Game 5 of the Series will be back in Arizona on Tuesday night with Dallas on the cusp of tying things at 2-2
DAL 109-95 PHX
Another time out called by the Suns with just 1:34 on the clock
17 turnovers for the Suns in back to back games here as Dallas are in total control now.
DAL 107-95 PHX
Dallas regain an 11 point lead as the clock ticks down....Mavs in control with Brunson bagging the 20th three poinyter of the night
Booker with a 3!
Dallas call a time out
DAL 101-88 PHX
Five left, Mavs 11 points ahead ...
Fourteen points to the good and just six on the clock..... the series is about to be tied...
DAL 97-83 PHX
Smith bags a three and invigorates the crowd... Dallas 11 ahead and Finney-Smith nails another three as another time-out is called.... Dallas in pole position to claim Game 4 now.
Having trailed all game, surely inconceivable that the Suns could edge this game? Seven minutes to go, no CP for Phoenix but some long rangers now imperative for the men in orange.
DAL 89-83 PHX
The fans now playing their part with huge 'Let's Go Mavs' sounding at the American Airlines Centre...time out called... Suns trail by 6
Bridges misses a three and the Mavs pick up the ball but they too miss the jump shot
Booker on 32 points now for Phoenix as CP is out of the game with his sixth foul
Doncic replies with a two pointer as the triples have dried up for Booker now...
Call for a flagrant turned down on Booker.
Chris Paul set to return for the Suns. CP3 on five fouls!
Booker elbows Brunson and this will be reviewd as a possible flagrant foul
DAL 87-78 PHX
Doncic has been quiet in the past quarter after an electric start from the Sloveian.
Final quarter of Game 4 and Dallas have been in control of the game from early on and will look to ride this game out and tie the series ahead of Game 5 next Tuesday.
Frank Ntilikina bags a huge triple at the end of the quarter
DAL 84-78 PHX
Dallas have only bagged 1 three pointer from ten efforts in this quarter and this is a key factor in the Suns clawing back the score with Dallas six points ahead now
Phoenix take it back to 6...Booker and Johnson looking good for the Suns now as Dallas call a time-out
DAL 82-74 PHX
After a slight wobble at the start of the third, Dallas have recovered control of proceedings as Cam Johnson is starting to shine for the Suns with just three minutes left in the quarter.
Every call now going against the Suns and it looks like Crowder has picked up his fourth personal foul
DAL 75-65 PHX
Doncic steals and Smith drills home a triple.... The energy levels switch back Dallas' way
DAL 68-63 PHX
Cameron Payne now on point guard duty for the Suns as they cut the lead now to just five points
The decision goes Dallas' way and Paul is now on five personal fouls.
Suns set to challenge that call as it looked like Paul was the man fouled.
The triple efforts for Dallas now failing to drop as there is a very small hint of a change of the direction of this game as Phoenix now reduce the deficit to 7 points as CP3 picks up his fifth
The Suns have come out with a better attitude in this half with a notch up in their intesity levels as they trail by 10
Ayton misses both two free throws and that very much epitomises Phoenix's night so far.
We're back underway in Dallas...
Dallas delivering their highest scoring half in the series and Chris Paul on a career high number of personal fouls in a single half on four.
Dallas 68-56 Phoenix
It's proving to be 'just one of those nights' for the Suns with little going the way of the team from Arizona as Dallas are being pushed on by their 20,000 home fans sense that the game is there for the taking as the continue to dominate on the offensive front with Devin Booker the only key danger outlet for Phoenix.
DAL 68-PHX 56
The half ends and it's Dallas in control here in Game 4
5 points and 4 fouls for the 37-year-old Suns play tonight
Another foul called against Chris Paul as the veteran collides with Doncic.
Crowder and Doncic tangle and once again the tension that we saw at the start of the game rears its head again
Doncic hits the floor after a tangle with Bridges. No worries for the Slovenian as he gets to his feet and sinks his two free throws.
DAL 63-PHX 52
Dallas open a double digit lead as Kleber sinks two free throws....
Chris Paul on his third personal foul now with less than a minute of the half to go
We're back in action .... Booker and Crowder on 29 points for the Suns.
Suns call a time-out
Mavs lead by 7
It's been a better quarter from the Suns as they are defending much better now and depriving Dallas of the free throwing space they enjoyed in Q1.
Paul sinks a two and brings the lead back to just six points....
Booker looking to do things single handeldy for the Suns, 16 points already from the 25-year-old
DAL 51-43 PHX
Better from Phoenix as they pull things back to allow Dallas a single digit lead now...
CP3 gets his first points of the night. Despite six assists, it's imperative that the veteran gets on the scorecard for the Suns
We're back underway as we hear Jason Kidd talk to his players and the coach is encouraged with what he sees.
Suns trail by 14 as Dallas maintain their grip on this game. The efficiency in nailing three pointers one of the main keys in the Mavericks dominance tonight.
DAL 46-PHX 32
Crowder is back on the court and the Suns man sinks a double just as Bertans sinks another triple for Dallas as they sink their 11th three pointer from 16 attempts.
DAL 40-25 PHX
Monty Williams claiming that Dallas' ease in getting triples is the difference so far as the second quarter gets underway.
DAL 37-25 PHX
End of the quarter and Dallas are very much in control in a tense contest at the American Airlines Centre. Devin Booker the only bright spark for the Suns with Reggie Bullock on 13 points for Dallas.
Booker now on 11 for the Suns, but it has to be said that the Western Conference No.1 seeds have yet to really get a rhythm going tonight.
DAL 34-PHX 21
As soon as we say that, Crowder gestures to Monty Williams that he is good to go....
Crowder is back on the Suns bench but still seems to be in some trouble. Looking highly unlikely that we'll see the power forward tonight
Double Cam as Cameron Payne finds Johnson
DAL 26-PHX 15
Doncic now awarded his second foul of the night with the Slovenian far from happy with the call.
Nothing going the way for the Suns as Ayton awarded 'basket interference'
Booker with 9 points proving invaluable for the Suns tonight with Doncic on 7 for Dallas.
DAL 24-13 PHX
Second personal foul awarded against Chris Paul with tension levels at a premium tonight as the fans play their part as Crowder limps off to the locker room and plenty of problems amassing for Phoenix in this first quarter.
DAL 16-10 PHX
Booker also hit with a technical foul as the officials are being made to work hard tonight... A follow through awarded against the 25-year-old....
Dallas 15-8 Phoenix
Luka Doncic really does look fired up tonight..... One technical and personal foul a-piece for the Slovenian
Dallas 13-8 Phoenix
Finney-Smith hits another three as Monty Williams calls a time-out as Suns trail
Doncic bags his first 3 on the night....
Doncic awarded a technical foul and the Slovenian looks shell shocked by the decision as he tangles with a Suns man. A nervous start to the game with the tension palpable at the American Airlines Centre.
Dallas 5-5 Phoenix
Wow... Booker with 3 as Chris Paul gets his first personal foul of the night.
Off we go in Dallas.... Mavs confident after their first win over Phoenix in 11 last Friday....Suns with first possession
We're all set.... tip-off just moments away .... Game 4 is about to start.... a huge game in the series before we return to Arizona next Tuesday as the Suns starting five are presented to the fans. Suns tonight rocking an all orange uniform as the Dallas Mavericks players take to the court. Mavs tonight in navy blue.
Mavs' fan Monica Saldivar is selected to sing the national anthem tonight.....
Without shadow of a doubt the most popular jersey among the Mavs fans in attendance tonight at the American Airlines Centre is the No. 77 of Slovenian star Luka Doncic as the 'Let's Go Mavs' chant rings out from the fans. The very fans that Doncic applauded for their support during Friday night's win.
The tip-off countdown clock is showing just 10 minutes before the action gets underway in Dallas.
A huge game in the series tonight before Tuesday's next installment back in Arizona where, one feels a Suns' win tonight would be a major step for the No.1 seeds in advancing to the Western Conference final.
Suns' fans will be hoping more from Chris Paul tonight with the veteran player giving the ball away 7 times last Friday as Dallas clawed their way back into the series. The 37-year-old had a poor night as Phoenix posted their most discreet score tally of the season with 94 points.
The Mavs take to the court to start their warm-up spell .... The Suns yet to appear at the American Airlines Centre....
Plenty of younger fans in attendance today with the early tip-off being family friendly and of course a shout out to mothers everywhere with it being 'Mother's Day' today.
A packed American Airlines Centre awaits with fans clad in blue as the arena hype man does his best in warming up the crowd with a 'Lets Go Mavs' chant on loop....Free t-shirts and clappers in the arena tonight for the 20,000 fans expected to show up for the game.
Monty Williams names his five
Phoenix will start with Chris Paul, Booker, Ayton, Bridges and Crowder.
Mavs confirm starting five
Brunson, Doncic, Finney-Smith, Bullock and Powell will take to the floor for Dallas with tip-off looming ever closer.
Doncic decisive for Dallas
Slovenian star Luka Doncic was in inspirational form once again for the Mavs last Friday with the home fans hoping for more of the same today. Dallas won Game 3 of their best-of-seven series against the Phoenix Suns 103-94, giving themselves the chance to pull level when the two sides meet in Dallas on Sunday. This time it was an all-round team performance from Jason Kidd’s side, who slowed the game down in front of a raucous, sell-out home crowd at the American Airlines Center. Dallas held the Suns to quarter totals of 20, 24, 23 and 27 - their lowest output of the season, to stay alive in the series.
Doncic hails home fans energy in Game 3
Luka Doncic hit 26 points, 13 rebounds and was just was one assist shy of a triple-double as the Mavs staged their comeback with a 103-94 win over the Phoenix Suns last Friday. A 20,000-strong crowd at American Airlines Center pushed pushed Dallas to victory to make it 2-1 going into today's Game 4.
“The energy was insane. This crowd gets us going - the crowd was amazing for the whole game. But the energy and the execution was better. We trusted ourselves, and that’s what we’ve got to do in every game,” said Doncic, who freely admitted he was below par in the second half of Game 2, contributing just 11 points. “I knew I had to do better. I was really poor in the second half, I knew I could do better. I think I’ve made a big jump this year. My second half was horrible. I knew I had to get back to my team and play better defense”.
Hardaway Jr. absent for Dallas
The Mavs' No. 11 is still recovering from a fractured fifth metatarsal in his left foot and will be missing for Jason Kidd's team this afternoon.
Suns' absentees tonight
The Suns will be without Croatian star Saric for tonight and indeed for some considerable time after the Sibinek born player underwent knee surgery. Small forward Craig is also ruled out as he continues to recover from elbow contusion.
The Suns are in the house
The Phoenix players arrive in relaxed and casual mode at the American Airline Centre in Dallas, Texas with the countdown to Game 4 well underway.
Tonight's game is very much one of the key psychological games of the Series... Mavs win and they will really feel they are contenders to create an upset as the Series heads back to Arizona Tuesday next. A win for Phoenix and they would love to seal the deal on home soil in front of their own fan base at the Footprint Centre next week.
Williams optimistic for Suns improvement
Suns coach Monty Williams is hoping for better from his team - he said after the Game 3 defeat, “We missed, by our calculations, around 20 shots around the basket that we normally make. When you see us at 94 points and 23 assists, that’s not a typical game for us. We couldn’t come out and run with the ball, we kept giving them extra possessions. We had a few mishaps on [Maxi] Kleber with the switches, a lack of communication or just execution. We’ll be better in all of those categories on Sunday”.
Much of what is good about the Suns, stems from veteran Chris Paul and 25-year-old Devin Booker, with the Mavs doing a fine job at spoiling Paul's 37th birthday on Friday with the Suns guard having an off night as as Phoenix had its lowest-scoring game of the season.
With home advantage, Monty Williams' men forged into a 2-0 lead in the series but with the first game in Texas, and once again inspired by Slovenian star Luka Doncic, the Mavs put on a show on Friday night to fight their way back into the contest with a 94-103 win.
Tip-off tonight at the American Airlines Centre is at 3:30 pm ET/21:30 CEST and is the first Game 4 of two tonight with the 76ers facing Miami later on.
Hello and welcome to our live Game 4 coverage of the Western Conference semi-final with the Suns leading the series by 2-1.