Paul shines as Suns torch Mavs for 2-0 lead
LOS ANGELES – Chris Paul and the Phoenix Suns poured it on in the fourth quarter, pulling away for a 129-109 victory over the Dallas Mavericks and a commanding 2-0 lead in their NBA playoff series on Wednesday (Thursday, Manila time).
Paul scored 14 of his 28 points in the fourth quarter as Western Conference top seeds Phoenix broke open a close game, withstanding a 35-point performance from Mavericks star Luka Doncic.
Dallas, trying to head home for Games Three and Four with a split of two games in Phoenix, took a 60-58 lead into halftime.
But the Mavs had no answer for Paul, who keyed a 23-2 fourth quarter scoring run that effectively sealed it for Phoenix with minutes to spare.
Devin Booker scored 21 of his 30 points in the second half for the Suns, who connected on a franchise playoff record 64.5% of their shots from the field. That included 52% from three-point range as the Suns drained 13 baskets from beyond the arc.
"(We) just had to be a little bit more aggressive," Paul said. "That second quarter we started turning it over. They got it going. Shooters were making shots and we just wanted to stay the course."
Booker helped launch the turnaround with back-to-back three pointers early in the third quarter, but the Suns' 89-83 lead heading into the final period of the physical, sometimes testy contest looked tenuous.
Paul, however, took control, making six straight shots to gut-punch Dallas.
"We just did what we were supposed to do," Paul said as he looked to games three and four in Dallas starting on Friday. "We won two games at home."
That was the same sentiment voiced by Heat star Jimmy Butler in Miami.
"We did what we were supposed to do at home," Butler said. "The series really starts when you take it to the road."
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