Phoenix Suns explode in fourth to take 2-0 lead on Dallas Mavericks

The Phoenix Suns beat the Dallas Mavericks in Game 2 of their NBA Playoffs series on Wednesday night.
Look back at our updates from the game.
More:Dallas Mavericks ‘still very alive’ in series vs. Phoenix Suns, Nick Wright says
More:Luka Doncic has run-in with Phoenix Suns fan during Dallas Mavericks’ Game 2 loss
More:Phoenix Suns vs. Dallas Mavericks picks, predictions, odds: Who wins NBA Playoffs Game 3?
More:NBA Twitter marvels at Chris Paul’s fourth quarter for Phoenix Suns vs. Dallas Mavericks
Suns explode in fourth quarter to take 2-0 lead on Mavericks
The Phoenix Suns have a 2-0 lead on the Dallas Mavericks after erupting in the fourth quarter in Phoenix on Wednesday night.
The Suns outscored the Mavericks 40-26 in the quarter on their way to a 129-109 win.
Devin Booker had 30 points for the Suns. Chris Paul had 28.
Deandre Ayton only played 18 minutes in the game while dealing with foul trouble.
Luka Doncic had 35 for the Mavericks, but only scored 11 in the second half.
The Suns shot 49-for-76 from the field and 13-for-25 from 3-point range in the game.
The Mavericks were 36-for-79 and 17-for-41.
The Suns have defeated the Mavericks in 11 straight games.
Game 3 of the series is Friday night in Dallas.
Final score: Suns 129, Mavericks 109
More:Chris Paul, Devin Booker lead fourth quarter eruption, Phoenix Suns take Game 2
More:Suns block out the noise, including the whistles, to take a 2-0 lead against the Mavericks
Mavericks clear bench vs. Suns
The Mavericks came out of a timeout with 4:41 left in the fourth quarter with their starters out of the game.
The Suns have gone on a 23-2 run over the last four minutes, erupting for the big lead.
Score: Suns 122, Mavericks 95
Chris Paul, Suns build lead vs. Mavericks in fourth quarter
Chris Paul exited the game for a break with 5:45 remaining and the Suns ahead 110-93.
He has 20 points in the second half after scoring eight in the first half. He has 14 points for the Suns in the fourth quarter.
The Suns have outscored the Mavericks in the fourth 27-12.
Devin Booker hit two 3-pointers after Paul exited to give him 27 points in the game and help extend the lead for Phoenix.
Score: Suns 116, Mavericks 95 (4:41 left in fourth quarter)
Suns vs. Mavericks Game 2: How to watch | Picks, predictions, odds | Series picks
Chris Paul time in fourth quarter again in Game 2
We’ve seen this before.
The Suns’ Chris Paul is taking over the game against the Mavericks in the fourth quarter on offense and defense.
Paul has 23 points in the game to lead the Suns. He is 9-for-13 from the field and has eight assists.
He also just picked up an offensive foul on the Mavericks’ Jalen Brunson, Brunson’s fourth foul of the game. The Suns have outscored the Mavericks 14-10 so far in the quarter.
Score: Suns 103, Mavericks 93 (8:05 remaining in fourth quarter)
Suns take lead into third quarter vs. Mavericks
The Suns outscored the Mavericks in the third quarter, 31-23 to take an 89-83 lead into the fourth quarter.
Devin Booker heated up for the Suns in the third with 12 points and now has 21 points in the game on 8-for-16 shooting.
Luka Doncic only had two points for the Mavericks in the period after having 24 points at the half. Reggie Bullock has 16 points for Dallas, going 4-for-7 from 3-point range. Bullock had 11 points in the quarter.
The Suns are 33-for-57 from the field. The Mavericks are 28-for-59.
Booker and Deandre Ayton have four fouls for the Suns. JaVale McGee has five.
Dorian Finney-Smith and Dwight Powell have four fouls for the Mavericks.
Score: Suns 89, Mavericks 83 (end of third quarter)
JaVale McGee picks up costly fifth foul
The Mavericks pulled within 76-72 on a made 3-pointer by Reggie Bullock during which JaVale McGee picked up his fifth foul away from the ball.
Bullock hit threes on Dallas’ next couple of possessions as well to help the Mavericks pull within 80-78.
The Suns have 14 turnovers in the game.
McGee had really been playing well for the Suns in relief of Ayton. He has six points and two rebounds, with three points.
The Suns turned to Bismack Biyombo to relieve McGee.
Score: 84-80 (1:47 left in third quarter)
Fouls continue to play role in Suns vs. Mavericks Game 2
Here’s the updated foul situation for the Suns and Mavericks in Game 2 of their NBA Playoffs series:
Dallas has now been called for 21 fouls. Dorian Finney-Smith and Dwight Powell each have four fouls. Jalen Brunson and Davis Bertans both have three.
The Suns have been called for 17 fouls. Deandre Ayton and JaVale McGee each have four fouls. Cameron Johnson has three.
The Suns are 16-for-18 form the free-throw line. The Mavericks are 8-for-10.
The Suns have outscored the Mavericks in the third quarter, 14-6.
Score: Suns 72, Mavericks 66 (6:38 left in third quarter)
Deandre Ayton picks up fourth foul early in third quarter
The Suns’ Deandre Ayton was called for a flagrant foul on the Mavericks’ Dwight Powell when his elbow hit Powell when he was going up for a shot early in the third quarter.
The foul was Ayton’s fourth foul in the game.
Ayton has been limited to nine points in the game after scoring 25 points in Game 1.
He has played 17 minutes in the game.
JaVale McGee entered the game for Ayton and he quickly picked up his fourth foul of the game.
Score: Suns 68, Mavericks 66 (8:44 left in third quarter)
Mavericks take lead into half of Game 2 vs. Suns
The Mavericks took a 60-58 lead into the half of Game 2 against the Suns on Wednesday night in Phoenix.
Luka Doncic has 24 points for the Mavericks, including the last nine for Dallas.
He is 9-for-14 from the field and 4-for-7 from three-point range.
The Mavericks went 22-for-40 from the field in the first half and 10-for-20 from 3-point range.
Jae Crowder is the only Suns player in double figures. He has 15 points on 4-for-6 shooting.
The Suns are 20-for-35 from the field and 4-for-9 from 3-point range. Dallas outscored the Suns 32-26 in the second quarter.
The Suns had 10 turnovers in Game 1. They had 10 turnovers in the first half of Game 2. The Mavericks had
Score: Mavericks 60, Suns 58 (halftime)
The story of the first half of Suns vs. Mavericks Game 2? The officials
The first half has been filled with fouls in Game 2 of the Mavericks vs. Suns NBA Playoffs series.
The Mavericks have been called for 16 fouls: Davis Bertans, Dorian Finney-Smith and Jalen Brunson all have three fouls for Dallas.
The Suns have been whistled for 13 fouls: Deandre Ayton, JaVale McGee eand Cameron Johnson each have three.
The foul trouble could really have a big impact on the result of the game in the second half.
Score: Mavericks 51, Suns 49 (2:56 left in second quarter)
Luka Doncic getting more support in Game 2 vs. Suns
A lot was made about how Luka Doncic scored 45 points in the first game, but his team still lost 121-114.
Could his teammates step up and help him more in Game 2?
The answer to that question, at least so far, is a resounding yes.
Spencer Dinwiddie has 10 points off the bench for the Mavericks and Davis Bertans has nine to help Dallas build a lead in the second quarter.
Doncic has 15 points.
Score: Mavericks 49, Suns 47 (3:35 left in second quarter)
Mavericks go on run vs. Suns in second quarter foul-fest
The second quarter has been a foul-fest.
The Suns have been called for 11 fouls in the game, many of them in the second quarter. The Mavericks have been whistled for 14.
Amid all the fouls, the Mavericks have managed to rally and take a 43-38 lead on the Suns, their first lead of the series against the Suns.
They have outscored Phoenix 15-6 in the quarter and are currently on a 10-0 run.
The Suns haven’t score since Chris Paul hit a pair of free throws to make it 38-33 with 9:01 left in the quarter.
Luka Doncic has been sitting the entire quarter for the Mavericks.
Score: Mavericks 43, Suns 38 (6:51 left in second quarter)
Mavericks go on run to end first quarter vs. Suns
After trailing 30-21 with 1:39 left in the first quarter, the Mavericks cut the deficit to 32-28 at the end of the first quarter.
Dallas has to be happy with the result after getting off to a much slower start in Game 1 in Phoenix.
The Mavericks are shooting 12-for-21 from the field and have been led by Luka Doncic’s 14 points on 6-of-10 shooting.
The Suns are 11-for-17 from the field.
Dorian Finney-Smith has three fouls for the Mavericks and Cameron Johnson has three fouls for the Suns in just four minutes.
Phoenix has an 8-5 rebounding edge and went 8-for-10 from the free-throw line. The Mavericks went 1-for-1 from the line.
Score: Suns 32, Mavericks 28 (end of first quarter)
Foul situation having impact early in Game 2 of Suns vs. Mavericks series
The Suns have been called for three fouls. Deandre Ayton has one and Cameron Johnson picked up two quick ones.
The Mavericks have been whistled for eight..Jalen Brunson picked up two early fouls and was removed from the game for Dallas.
Dorian Finney-Smith picked up two and stayed in the game before picking up his third foul of the game.
Score: Suns 30, Mavericks 21 (1:39 left in first quarter)
Luka Doncic heating up for Mavericks vs. Suns in Game 2
Mavericks star Luka Doncic had 45 points in Game 1 of this series, but the Suns shut down most everyone else on their way to a 121-114 win.
How many points will Doncic get in Game 2 and will it matter?
Doncic has 12 of the Mavericks’ first 21 points. He is 5-for-8 from the field.
He has scored the Mavericks’ last 10 points.
Score: Suns 26, Mavericks 21 (2:27 left in first quarter)
Suns take lead first break in action vs. Mavericks in Game 2
The Suns took a 14-9 lead into the first break in the action in the first quarter of Game 2 against the Mavericks.
Reggie Bullock has five of Dallas’ nine points. Devin Booker and Mikal Bridges each have five for Phoenix.
The Suns are shooting 6-for-9 from the field. The Mavericks are 4-for-8.
Score: Suns 14, Mavericks 9 (6:52 left in first quarter).
Suns off to quick start in Game 2 vs. Mavericks
The Suns got off to a 9-0 lead in Game 1 against the Mavericks on Monday night.
The got off to a 9-0 lead in Game 2 on Wednesday.
Mikal Bridges had five of Phoenix’s first nine points, while Deandre Ayton added four.
The Mavericks got their first bucket with 8:51 left in the first on a shot by Luka Doncic to make it 9-2.
Score: Suns 9, Mavericks 2 (8:51 left in first quarter)
Suns vs. Mavericks: Game 2 starting lineups
The Suns are starting Mikal Bridges and Jae Crowder at the forward positions and Deandre Ayton at center.
Devin Booker and Chris Paul are the starting guards.
The Mavericks are starting Reggie Bullock and Dorian Finney-Smith at forward and Dwight Powell at center.
Jalen Brunson and Luka Doncic make up the starting backcourt.
Draymond Green makes his Suns vs. Mavericks prediction
The Golden State Warriors’ Draymond Green has never been afraid to share his opinion. And he’s shared it for the Suns vs. Mavericks series.
Green, who is playing in the Golden State Warriors vs. Memphis Grizzlies series, the other Western Conference playoff semifinal, recently made his prediction for Phoenix vs. Dallas.
His prediction?
Green picked the Suns to win Game 1 and the Mavericks to win the series.
“This Mavs team, I’m telling you, this Mavs team is not a pushover by any stretch of the imagination,” Green said. “So, I’m going to admit, this is a tough one for me to pick. It’s a pick ’em. I feel like it’s a coin flip. Both teams are really good. Do I have to pick one? If I have to pick one, I’m going to pick the underdog. I’m going to go with the Mavs.”
Click here for more Suns vs. Mavericks NBA Playoffs series predictions.
Colin Cowherd’s prediction for Suns vs. Mavericks
Fox Sports’ Colin Cowherd had a much different take than Green on the series after watching Game 1.
“This series is big trouble for Dallas,” he said on The Colin Cowherd Show. “Phoenix is going to control the boards. Phoenix is not reliant on one player, so as the series extends, you get a better rested, a deeper team.
“Dallas is in the exact same spot they were with Dirk Nowitzki. They’ve got a transformational player and now they’ve got to find a 2.”
Wright predicted that the Mavericks would beat the Suns in a seven-game series.
“Mavs should feel fine,” Wright tweeted. “Suns have no answer for Luka. Phoenix got every rebound & hit 3 desperation end of shot clock shots in the 2nd half that killed any comeback attempt. This series is going the distance, and I like Luka’s chances at the end of it.”
Wright doubled down on his take on his show, First Things First, on Tuesday morning, saying that “Chris Paul is shook and rightfully so.”
You can check out Wright’s complete comments, and some responses to it from fans and fellow First Things First show analyst Chris Broussard here.
The Phoenix Suns entered the postseason as the favorite to win the NBA title, but were not favored when Devin Booker missed time in the first round with a hamstring injury.
Entering Game 2 of their series with the Mavericks, Phoenix is once again the favorite to win the NBA title.
Tipico Sportsbook has the Suns at +230 to win the title. The Golden State Warriors are second at +320, with the Miami Heat and Boston Celtics tied for third at +480.
Click here to see each of the remaining team’s odds to win the 2022 NBA Championship. Click here to see the odds for who will win the NBA Finals MVP.
The Suns are a 6.5-point favorite in the game against the Mavericks on Wednesday night, according to Tipico Sportsbook.
Phoenix is -270 on the money line and Dallas is +210.
The over/under for the game is set at 215.5 points.
Click here for picks and predictions for the Suns vs. Mavericks game on Wednesday night.
The game will be broadcast on TNT beginning at 7 p.m.. Arizona time.
Play-by-play will be provided by Kevin Harlan with analysis from Reggie Miller and sideline reports by Allie LaForce.
Click here to see the entire Suns vs. Mavericks NBA Playoffs series schedule.
The Suns are wearing their black “The Valley” city edition uniform for Game 2, while the Mavericks are wearing their white association edition uniform.
Suns vs. Mavericks: Game 2 pregame reading
Reach Jeremy Cluff at jeremy.cluff@arizonarepublic.com. Follow him on Twitter @Jeremy_Cluff.
Support local journalism: Subscribe to azcentral.com today.