Chris Paul had 28 points, 14 of them in another spectacular fourth quarter, and led the Phoenix Suns to a 129-109 win over the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday that extended their lead in the conference semifinals to 2-0. West.
Paul, a 12-time All-Star and turns 37 on Friday, almost single-handedly turned a game into a comfortable win. It was the Suns’ 11th straight victory over the Mavericks, counting their regular-season matchups.
Dallas led 60-58 at halftime, but Phoenix quickly took over following back-to-back 3-pointers by Devin Booker early in the third quarter. The Suns led 89-83 at the end of the quarter and everything seemed to presage a close battle to come.
But that’s when Paul decided the game was under his control with six straight baskets of everything from 3-pointers to mid-range shots and layups. The battle-hardened Mavericks didn’t offer an answer. Booker made two more 3-pointers midway through the quarter to give Phoenix a comfortable 114-95 lead.
Booker led the Suns with 30 points on 11-for-19 shooting, including 5-for-8 from 3-point range. Phoenix made 64.5% of his total shots and 52% of his 3-pointers.
Game 3 of the series will be played on Friday in Dallas.
The Mavericks come back down 2-0 and desperately need someone to contribute beyond Luka Doncic, who finished with 35 points on 13-for-22 shooting two nights following going 45 to start the season. the Serie. Reggie Bullock chipped in 16 points.
