DALLAS MAVERICKS VS PHOENIX SUNS
e e e for e for [Music] e e e e [Music] [Music] [Music] for e e [Music] Eric border [Applause] as guard six disy you [Applause] e [Music] for e for for for for for he’s unbelievable Hall of Famer in every way thank you David so the opening lineup for the Suns ball and Booker The Talented backourt [Applause] pair Aon is the pivot and Crowder slides in at the four and it’s bridges in at the three and for the Mavericks on the wings it’s Den witty and Hardway Jun javel mcge up there with Aaron Gordon and it’s donic in at the one yeah just about a half seon behind us the rankings are clearer than ever Greg you feel confident to make some playoff predictions oh Kevin it’s way too early for that injuries other roster shakeups there’s just still so much that could happen and and totally reshape those rankings and foul on the shot he’ll shoot two x the free throw line and we talk about the play making ability of CP3 third all time in career assist second all time in career assist percentage and he looks far from done and great what separates Paul from the other two guys that have more career assists is that Paul also averaged 18 point points a game and he scores with efficiency really a oneof aind talent when he finally does decide to hang him up I think he’d make a great head coach as well and once he got to the 10 I think he was surprised to find himself that wide open well this early they should be showing a lot more energy on defense it’s not there Crowder the pass to Aon it’s rebounded by Dallas the Suns beat them last time these two teams met in Phoenix yeah and last time out they sort of shot themselves in the foot with the foul trouble that was what led to them having such an ugly score line the foul trouble was a big chunk up I mean it’s hard to mount a comeback when all your key guys your main players are watching From the Bench here’s Hardaway following the basket by DeAndre Aton right side Gordon Hardway kicks to danic one deep tipped away and he missed that one but I’ve seen him drill shots from that distance in warm up well that looked to me guys like a heat check and was maybe a step out of his range now here is McGee Devin Booker missing his last shot for three that’s good from donic on the exist from Hardway donic has got five points so far for Phoenix they’ve gone just one of four to get this game started Paul passes to Booker and here is Bridges trins it from Beyond the armg and an eye for an eye both teams working to stretch the floor nothing like answering back one team gets three you fire three of your own boom now here’s donic last game an incredible scoring display for him and about two minutes played here in the first quarter Paul dishes to Crowder hooker up chop Paul outside eighton against donic lock at six that’s basket number two with his third shot off to a fast two for three well he is looking confident love how they’re using him so far and you know what they’re going to keep using him I mean he’ll be the centerpiece of their offense today you can Bank on that really crisp intelligent passing to make that basket possible Booker outside inside and Aon throws it down pass first mindset of Paul when you leave somebody open on his Squad he’s going to make you pay for it and it’s McGee with the jam oh fellas that was vicious twoand monster slam guys I don’t think there was anyone who could have stopped him on that one well guys I’m glad they didn’t try because I don’t want anybody to get hurt out there Aon kicks to Bridges Paul passes to book from downtown no good and it’s Dallas the other way they are coming into this having not to win against the Knicks in their last game and you got to love a team that can maintain its composure on the road take good shots and knock them down with confidence well efficiency is critical and I love how they ran their offense and got quality shots out of their sets and foul on the shot so he’ll get a chance at the line talking about a franchise that has done a complete 180 look no further than the Phoenix Suns 2021 they hadn’t even been to the playoffs in 10 years both free throws good from McGee in just four seasons Phoenix Greg went from last in the conference to the best record in the entire NBA it’s been an unbelievable Story and there’s a lot of Talent on this team not to mention a great coach and Monty Williams the future is great for this franch Bridges Dallas has gone one of three from Beyond The Arc so far in the game Gordon donic trying to get over Gordon from the left block he sends it through it’s never easy in the NBA folks I mean great job by Gordon to T dismiss the contact and still score now here’s Paul he had a 12-point outing in their last game against San Antonio the kick out to Crowder trains the three-pointer and he likes to get in a rhythm early nice triple and it’s Gordon with the ball he brings it up for the Dallas Ms it’s a three-point game back to donic right side Gordon goes up and lays it nice and easy Gordon’s got six yeah great hustle from Gordon using his patented vertical the sky up for the board to the middle here’s Crowder and Crowder it in and you know we can’t measure Hart I mean he’s not as big as the other power forwards but his jumping ability and mindset is incredible fouled on the shot and picks up two points so one free throw coming up defens foul that sends javal McGee to the free throw line first personal foul that one on Aon he’s gone two for two at the line so far and Clark don’t you have to admire the way the Mavericks are always looking to compete yeah I like that Kevin it’s a good point by you it starts at the top of the organization I mean the team has really avoided any kind of lengthy rebuild to their credit they want to win and this team uh is definitely capable of doing that now following the three-point attemp by Aaron Gordon not quite enough defense that time around just lucky he was off for Three Bridges good and a nice assist from Booker three Booker’s got three assists now in this one no hesitation from Bridges he gets the ball and is trying to take that shot now here’s donic and the rejection by Eon passes it to book the teardrop falls in this is as good as it gets for a first quarter in terms of shooting the basketball you’re exactly right I mean everything seems to be dropping impressive scoring here and Dallas calls their first time out of the game during the summer of 2021 the Mavericks had some major changes longtime head coach Rick Carlile left after 13 years in Dallas and they also got a new GM Christian Woods checked in for the Mavericks Rose comes in for Dante and then for Phoenix Char checked in for DeAndre Johnson comes in for Crowder and Cameron pay subbed in for Chris Paul now Booker following the three-point attempt by Aaron Gordon Booker dishes to paint and they force the shot clock violation great team coaching staff changes a side Clark to front office moves affect players that much I think they do Kevin it’s hard for them not to normally we see a flurry of trades or free agent signings we saw it with the Mavericks trading away Kristoff porzingis changing the composition of their squad going in a different direction so that’ll take some adjustment too and it’s McGee slamming it to I think McGee’s been working on that one I mean you don’t just come up with that off the top of your head boy you got to think that one through and looking at that replay again just a big time block right there reads the play well there and gets himself in the air just the right time terrific denial and they’ve done well at taking advantage of some late defensive rotations and getting the ball in the Bain wood with the bucket you know one of wood’s natural gift staying in control after drawing the contact hooker [Applause] outside last to char Bridges outside excellent D that time there from McGee oh that’s terrific defense there that’s how you protect the rim that one good for two really a smart look that time by wood giving the ball up to his wide open teammate Booker outside now the pass to Bridget nice ball Movement by Phoenix pay shot is good outstanding distribution there I mean what impressive passing ability Rose in the post pay covering Rose kicks to Gordon it’s good this time the assist from Rose Gordon got nine points you know so far he’s been dominant this period making the most of his opportunity to Bridges he points rebounded by McGee the Mavericks trailing here’s Gordon a miss that time would have put him up that’s one he knows he should have drank and Aaron Gordon the whistle that time that is his first foul of the game a different look for Dallas by pow comes in for Javale McGee and quickly in for Den witty and for the Suns Landry shamit checked in for male Bridges and Lee subed in for Booker Payne gets a wide open look and the three of Target and for the Mavericks they’re shooting quite well in these early minutes [Applause] [Applause] 55% passes it to shamut five to shoot Lee Outside over Roose and the Suns Miss again and it’s wood with the ball for the Dallas Mavericks they Trail by one Lee Outside charge outside Beyond The Ark Suns keep it alive Lee kicks to pay Johnson wide open he fires Mavericks with the rebound and right from the start C they’ve been pounding the glass most of those 50/50 balls also going to well I don’t think there’s any question about it they came focused and ready to play I mean they’re doing everything they can to uh put things in their favor you earn that and they’re actually earning it well right now shami finds pay highb Johnson back to pay and he drives in and Gordon over to help there’s sham and the three ball is good and the Suns lead by four punch counter punch impressive offensive production early on hey guys this is going to be fun now I mean we’ve got ourselves a shootout on tap here Clark when the Mavs traded for Rajan Rondo during the 145 season Dwight Powell was included in that package and he’s still with it yeah you know Rondo spent just a half season with the Ms and really at that point in time was in the second half of his career while pal has been there ever since and is a nice foundational piece I mean they love his work ethic and he’s a key part of their rotation and I don’t see that changing here’s shich after the ma shot from Christian Wood and if you ask me what percentage of the time he’s making that shot my answer would be in the single digits well you can’t be forcing the shot like that you got to keep the ball moving get something better and this is his first trip to the line tonight third team foul the free throw dropped for Rose you know what we’ve recently been able to watch a different Rose here I mean a better more efficient more confident player and I love seeing that now here’s Lee he’s still scoreless so far in this one shamet the best to lead pass to pay that’s the three fly does not find the basket his second Miss he’s now one for three let’s go and that’s a foul called on Dwight pow that is his first foul of the game foul com on to the Flor for your Hardway J now here’s Payne quickly covering Payne looking around over quickly and the last shot before the buzzer is off well it’s been a high scoring competitive game through the first quarter e for for for for e for for e for play Suns ahead leading by just one and we’ll get going after this from the please give a big round of applause and we hope you’re enjoying the game both teams tonight keeping things pretty even so far in the scoreboard and taking a look at the sun’s performance here guys uh what have they been doing or not doing well you can see these guys are unafraid to take chances defensively well you know the defense guys is just disruptive active and energetic and you can’t afford to be loose with the ball against these guys setting the floor for the Suns Paul and Booker The Talented backourt pair up It Forward they’ll have Bridges and Crowder and it’s eighton in at the five Twitty against Bridges and there’s the pass to Aon here’s Booker and he buries that one drilling the rim on the way down Booker’s got his second bucket tonight the quick clean shot there from Booker strong mechanics give him great accuracy on the wing donic defended by Paul donic no good Suns leading by three Paul dishes to Aon and too much time in the lane they get called for the 3sec [Applause] violation so for Phoenix their last game a lost to the San Antonio Spurs that one goes counted donic has got seven points in the game pretty much all of their buck it’s coming from inside the paint now and that outstanding drive and finish brought to you by mobile one it’s all about the ability to get two feet in the paint whether it’s creating for a teammate or for yourself here’s Bridges and he drops in the layup off the glass Bridges has got his third basket of the night right there Nimble inside play by Bridges working his way to a close range shot and now the latest from our reporter David Al thanks Kevin it is hard to forget the crazy draft night for bridges in 2018 drafted 10th by his hometown Sixers his mom was an employee with the team but he was traded an hour later to Phoenix he says it was tough but once I came here I loved it group of guys we had I knew I wanted to be here and they are sure glad they got him Kevin they are indeed no doubt da thank you just three to shoot Sho here’s Paul that shot is off nice D from donic pass to P back to donic over Paul that doesn’t go in had a chance though to take the lead and zoit Crowder with it they’ll bring it up for the Phoenix Suns took him no time at all on that one assist and the Suns lead by two textbook nice pass great catch even better finish and the Mavericks call time here teams nowadays tracking deflections in addition to Steel were they something you were aware of when you play defense St even if they weren’t tracked uh they were valued and I remember early in my career that was something with the Knicks that would always emphasize cuz deflections were a true indicator of activity especially defensive the shooting numbers just aren’t there yet in the quarter [Applause] way against Bridges three-pointer it’s rebounded by [Applause] Dallas donic looking it over dises toal out to donic shoots the three Booker pulls it in O rough shooting night tonight but you can’t fault him for the effort the jumper from the free throw line is good now it’s a four-point Suns lead pick works well there not much resistance from the deep yeah that’s not the defense you need you got to be tougher defensively oh just solid on the one-handed slam and guys when it’s a tight ball game like this he’s the guy they want with the ball somebody you can count on he is an extremely reliable finisher Aon the pass to Bridget and he’s good on the three ball Bridges got five points now this quarter he’s picking up right where he left off in the first quarter donic against bridges that doesn’t go either for donic yeah you know guys this has been far from his best game a disappointing Ting for both him and the team I love his shot selection today he set the bar for the rest of the team and the Mavericks making a change here McGee checked in and guys let’s get your take on the scoring breakdown so far for the Sid their chemistry that’s what really stood out so far in this one to me look at the number of assists they’ve been able to rack up so far and something else they’ve done well tonight is finding points in transition so far the fast break has been a plus for them it really balances out the back court when a ghee is able to provide points inside I mean that’s big Bridges passes to Aon to the paint and there’s Booker on the assist by Booker’s got the lead back up to seven out for the SS here’s donic plays it up and Banks it in donic has got 14 points for the game you know as I watch donic I think it’s feudal to try to distract this guy his focus and concentration and control of himself is um excellent on the wing [Music] Bridges on the corner and it’s Phoenix scoring again and they’ve had assist now on their last three basket Dallas calls time out the oh you know what time it is M here com your [Music] de that was your average Trail by seven on J passes to den witty from Deep three-point range and it’s Luca d with the three he’s got 177 yeah he’s owning them on the offensive end but you know he can’t do it by himself and eight throws it down and it’s the way Aiden uses his body inside it’s what allows him to get so close to the basket H passes to McGee here’s the three who’s back up and oh what a play he just Palms the block here’s Paul that one misses and the Mavericks going the other way now that will be a getaway game for them a one game Road Trip bage finds McGee some nice passing here by Dallas hard away no good Suns leading by six Bridges shot good just impressed with the teamwork out there setting the table for one another five straight baskets resulting from assist they’re playing as one unit out there here’s McGee the shots good on the assist by donic donic has got assist number five here tonight when you play with Luca now donic he’s ready to find you if you’re open so you’ve got to be ready to receive and you look at all the things donic can do one in particular he can control the pace of the game and Greg I love that about him his size his strength is Savvy his skill set you really can’t speed him up at the off van everything he does is at his pace and his Tempo he methodically breaks you down and a deep three from donic trying to answer back but that three is Off the Mark Booker at the elbow McGee with the block boy and the wingspan McGee has covers a lot of ground very useful for shot block Wood can’t hit well you know stopping him is never easy to do but the defense was strong there here’s Paul and he sinks that one in in the back of the rim on the way in and it’s an 11-point Suns lead the Mavericks should being a respectable 47% from the field in this one anage passes to den wtti his shot is good making the perfect two for two from the floor I mean the number of points they’ve scored in the pain already here is eye opening B finds Bridges Den Wy against Booker down low Crowder and Crowder and you know Paul is a certain Hall of Famer as a dime dropper a dynamite playmaker who continues to wow us with his passing ability and that’s just great work there to get in the shooter face and then go and coral that backboard to the inside mgee with the block donic with it 17 points in the game in the corner it’s D witty Paul with the steel Bridges outside pass to Booker now here’s Aon he kicks the Paul Booker the pass to Bridges and a great assist by Booker as that goes in and this is the game plan for him he’s a big part of their floor spacing and you know what it’s all about the long distance game for him tonight he’s getting it done from out there McGee and the layup is good McGee’s got 14 points just a positive force right now for these guys and though his team has fallen a bit short it’s not because of him and the Suns call their first timeout of the game they couldn’t put the pieces together losing that last match up up with San Antonio I mean they went into that one with the thought that they may have a chance uh no it wasn’t pretty that’s definitely the case I mean I know they’d like to scrub that game from their memories and actually erase it from the hard drive here’s what Phoenix has got going on right now sh has checked in for DeAndre Johnson comes in for Mel bridg and Landry Sham subed in for Deon Booker the Suns have made two of the previous three free his game the first free throw is good and he makes the first but misses the second that’s Gordon with the ball he brings it up for Dallas it’s a 13-point game good trying to free himself up Rose can’t hit and we haven’t seen them get to the line as much here in the second quarter they might be settling a tad too much offensively I think you’re right I mean an up here there getting the ball inside that’s how you create high percentage offense quickly the pass to Gordon to the paint here’s McGee it’s good again in an excellent seven for eight shooting night so far boy this is a night to remember for McGee a force on the floor you cannot overstate what a presence he’s been tonight sh that’s good boy have they gotten hot here in the second quarter no wonder very in front I don’t know if this field goal percentage is sustainable but they can stay close to what they’ve done in shooting the ball they’ll they’ll run away with this one Johnson outside now here’s shamet he’s covered by Rose and charch kicks to shanut shot clock at six over Rose another one Falls for Phoenix give them credit offensively they’ve been the more efficient team well you know it’s been all high percentage shot for him so far I mean just the kind of execution you want in the first half McGee the best to row back to McGee yes and it’s rose with the assist that time McGee got 18 points knows how to run a team guys and facilitate accordingly Rose makes those around him better pass to Johnson out side [Applause] Crowder Paul outside Fires for three it’s rebounded by Dallas McGee got 11 rebounds in the game this shot’s just it’s not there right now with his team leading perhaps you know let’s focus on some other areas of the game the pass to shamet now shich [Music] Crowder inside fader on the way rebounded by McGee McGee got rebound number 12 here already in the game and here they go a fader rebound by the Suns and there’s the foul it’ll go on Christian Wood that’ll be his second foul of the game foul substitution on the court here’s pay and so it’s Phoenix up by a dozen here at the end of the quarter and more than anything their three-point shooting thanks David and we’ll be back shortly following halim to get the third quarter underway it’s the 2K sports halime show hey welcome back to the NBA on 2K sports this is Ernie Johnson Mel Bridges playing terrific basketball in this one he had 18 points five assists and four rebounds he didn’t perform up to his St and that’s a and with the second half upon us we’ll find out if this game becomes the route that it’s threatening to be what a game we’re seeing from Mel Bridges and if he can keep shooting from Deep like he did in the first half he’s going to be more than a handful yeah you know what the defense is going to adjust they’ll be ready for him now so I’m sure they talked a lot about how to slow him down the back court parir will be Don chinwi Aaron Gordon out there with Tim Hardway Jr and it’s McGee in at the five spot that’s the lineup out there for the Mavericks and now let’s take a look again at that incredible rejection and that block might serve as a spark for this team we’ll see if it can ignite them pass to Bridges now here’s Booker back to Bridges here’s hton count the bucket and he’s got a free throw coming up as well the size the wingspan and the athleticism Aiden has is huge very strong at rebounding well many thought the Suns would let Aiden walk as a restricted free agent but they had no hesitation matching the offer to bring him back looks like he’ll be a son for the foreseeable future you know guys you look at donic and he has really good size for a wing which helps him have his way against most Defenders Booker against dwit back to Bridget and it’s slammed in by Bridges and one step ahead of the defense with that solid screen and then Greg the monster dunk to finish it off boy pict your perfect teamwork that time guys one guy sacrificing for the other that’s how you succeed in this lead one of the things you’ve got to admire and respect about him is his aggressiveness at the offensive end always in attack mode Paul kicks to Booker and we’re just about a minute and a half into the third quarter of basketball [Music] back to Bridges shot clock at five and a great assist by Booker as that one goes in Booker got assist number eight here in this one already Hardway dishes to McGee Dallas moving it around here’s Gordon and it’s Gordon finishing it off and that’s Gordon game now you can’t give him room to hit the launch pad because if he does he’s throwing it down every time all finds Bridget passes to Aon and the rebound goes to the Mavericks mgee got rebound number 13 for him here tonight Gordon with it he’s picked up by Paul and there’s the call on Devin Booker Booker that’s his first foul foul first team foul a little under two and a/2 minutes going on by here in the third donic passes to Gordon that’s good it’s his seventh May Basket in 14 tries everything going to play here to start the third 80% shooting thus far Booker outside pass to Bridges Aon with it into the L and throws it down yeah just proving how fast he can heat up once Aiden finds that Rhythm he is going to work Dallas calls timeout young big man though often struggle to find consistency but you look at A’s first four seasons the numbers are almost identical year to year here’s dun and the call on the shot sends in to the line and for eight the numbers are impress IED aaging a double double every season and he’s got all the tools next steps making more plays for others and they’ve been working on his shooting range to open up the lane a bit more just solid really one of the very best there is at the free throw line donic against B four on the clock and the Suns tack on two more they are just killing them on the interior yeah you can’t say that with enough emphasis I mean the Defenders are just not being aggressive enough down low you got to play with some physicality in the paint here’s donic that one Falls coming off D witty’s feet donic has got nine points here in the second half the pass to Aon it’s over McGee and it’s a missing you you almost have to assume he’s going to knock those down when he is that open do finds Gordon the lead now in single digits doic is been 11 here in this quarter alone you know he’s got to be exasperated right now fellas I mean playing excellent Ball but they’re still losing back the ball now Aon he’s got 15 B outside the kick out to Crowder it’s the floater and it’s good on the Lan Crowder’s got 13 points wow what a clever pass that time by Chris Paul oh what an impressive Tribble drive that replay brought to you by mobile one he’s doing everything he can to put this game to bed and great score there to help his team Booker looking around pass to Paul shoots over donic Paul’s shot is off yeah but the hand in the face it’s critical that you canest his shots every time down the floor inside here’s Gordon makes that one fall it’s his eighth bucket in 15 shot attempts and Gordon is a guy who’s used to being bodied I mean he just kind of plays through it shrugging off the contact and ignoring it really passes it to Aon to the middle here’s [Applause] Booker shooting foul as the whistle blows he’ll shoot two free throws it’s going to be on Aaron Gordon such an active shooter love how Booker gets Defenders to try and be physical with him and a moment here to take a look at the scoring breakdown for the SS I mean they’ve been stepping it up in terms of their shooting from distance and the confidence has been there all game long leading the defense to scramble and another thing they’ve been exceptional at is their passing on target ball movement has gotten them a lot of assists tonight strong move to the 10 trying to get his guys going hard not to get motivated G right when your teammate makes that kind of play yeah you know when you’re looking to close the gap you need guys who will take it upon themselves to step up take the initiative and make something happen Walker finds pain Bridges outside up and in that’s his 10th bake in the contest he has only taken 13 shots and there’s a pattern starting to take shape here they’re working it inside and getting good shots from close range well I agree with you four of their last five baskets have been exactly of that variety and it’s Gordon finishing it off ooh he put a little extra on that one he does he doesn’t usually finish soft either obviously he can when necessary but not that time not when he can throw it down like that boom and there’s the call it’s going to be an illegal screen and guys one of for the league is to really crack down on illegal screens yeah you know he might have gotten away with that a few years ago but not anymore no way now you’ve got to be stationary on those screens no extra hips or elbows or they’ll call it Mavericks making a switch here Woods checked in and the sun’s also making a change charge is checked in good a nice assist from Booker assist Booker’s got nine assists now tonight sweet find there by Booker all eyes on him with the ball and Deon understands that that has a nice feel for giving up the rock gon outside Bar’s the long range jumper Gordon got 22 points first three of the half second of the game can he heat up pass to Bridges nice ball Movement by [Applause] Phoenix kicks it to Johnson basket counts Johnson’s got seven points yeah taking it right into the teeth of the defense and and it’s a defense that’s starting to look frustrated well they should be I mean it has not been a good performance for him at that end of the floor boy he’s making it look really easy right now I expect him to continue to run the offense through him until the defense makes some change plans now here’s pay not a lot of room Johnson man he’s got such a great touch and feel around the basket he made that reverse look easy average Trail by 10 outside Gordon Wood pass it to Gordon dwit he dishes to donic kicks it out to dwit and so the ball’s out of bound touched it last and some changes here for the Mavericks Derrick Rose has checked in pen witty and quickly in ponic and Phoenix also making a switch Damen Lee he’s checked in for Booker pay passes to Bridges here’s shich and here’s Payne he gives the team some steady offense a bit under 10 points a game clock is at three shot from free throw range Bridges misses and it’s wood with the ball for the Mavericks trailing by tail Bridges with the steel here’s Johnson and it’s blocked by Gordon at the defensive end Gordon is very accomplished I mean he gets off the ground for e for quickly and is an excellent shot blocker as a result outstanding execution good job working the ball inside Lee outside he kicks to Bridges Johnson outside here’s the pass to pay out of bounds Dallas takes possession D andry shamit checked in for the sun substition Landry Shon mavick trailed by eight quickly the pass to Rose and that one clearly a foul gets the whistle and two shots coming up with rose is in guys I mean the defense has to act he puts them on their heels the Mavericks Adit most of their free throws tonight five of six so he gets them both and even though they’re down they are putting on a show at the free throw line yeah they’re making the most of their opportunities at the strip and they’ll need to keep it up to take the lead Johnson finds Lee now Payne shks trying to break free that’s good from pay on the by Lee payns got his second bucket of the night pick works well there not much resistance from the deep yeah that’s not the defense you need you got to be tougher defensive fores they have been good at the free throw line this one seven of eight the first one Falls now at the line for your bck dck rose that one Falls so he hits both of [Applause] them Phoenix leading by six hey kicks to Lee out to pay pass to shamut two minutes remaining in the two minutes six to shoot launches a three it’s rebounded by quickley Dallas has gone into the three-point range four times since halftime and buried two of them Rose passes to Wood that’s a two from Gordon Dallas no good that time either I wouldn’t say that’s exactly his spot now I mean and you can see why and that one’s good sh the D just sagged off just enough and no hesitation on his part here’s Rose here’s wood it’s good this time the assist from rose rose has got six assists now in the game well we talk about it all the time hard work pays off and wood works extremely hard to fight for the Finish he wanted there passes to Johnson lets it go from Deep another three for Phoenix Johnson how many times have we seen a possession like that from them today ending with a basket coming off a pretty pass well when you look at the assist totals he they’ve been clearly the better team Lee against R pass to [Music] shamut 4 seconds left to play in the third shoots Christian Wood grabs the rebound Woods got his sixth rebound on the night Gordon excellent D there by Johnson and the activity he shows around the rim is why he is such a respected Defender and you know what he’s not going to give up an easy finish at The Rim I mean that’s just against his Constitution P fine sh that one Falls and now it’s a 12-point Suns lead I think the offensive game of char is really good and continues to evolve encouraging to see him be aggressive inside and so it’s Phoenix enjoying a 12-point lead as they talk things over during the break their strategy has been clear tonight 105 and a chance right now to show you our State Farm assist of the game yeah and EAS choice tonight look at the Precision on this pass put it on a platter for him served him up a tasty room service di right there boy and as we head into the fourth we’ll see if there’s a comeback in the works or if it’s more of the same from the first three quarters on the court now for the Suns getting going here in the fourth Aon is at the center with Johnson next to him Booker out there with Char and it’s shamut in at the three spot and the basket is good got it to go through on the contact so a free throw coming up a great opportunity for a three-point play and Phoenix making a change here Bridges checks in and if they continue Kevin their outstanding free throw shooting that’ll help them seal the deal yeah they’ve not missed a single foul shot this half and that’s taking care of business fellas and here’s Char he’ll bring it up for the Suns at the top of the key Bridges and he finishes nicely on the Lup Bridges has got nine points now in just the second half one tough customer Bridges fighting for the basket in close on our r&z 5G slam cam you just saw an explosive highlight and the lamp is good after a nice lead pass Bridges has got 29 you got to love his hustle leaving the defense no time to react and you know you’re going to get those buckets guys when you’re quick to get out on the break get that ball up the court as fast as you can here’s Gordon he gets it in there Gordon 24 points for him nice seeing Gordon get it done over some pretty tight stingy defense there showing just how confident he is in the post here’s Den witty can’t cash in from close ring that’s not the type of opportunity he fails to convert very often here’s Booker it’s rebounded by Dallas Woods got seven rebounds in the game and dingy gets it to go on the assist by Gordon boy I like how Gordon this is the ball when his teammates are open he finds them on time and on target Booker outside there’s the three good for his sixth make and it dozen attempts shooting 50% with that basket and with the lead I like the strategy here continue to get the ball to guys who can do something with if it’s working keep working it that’s what I say keep the pressure on it oh the one hand Tomahawk guys somebody’s going to get their feelings hurt yeah that they got the entire bench up right there as they saw that and out of their chairs that’s how you get your teammates fired up Bridges gets to [Applause] char and the pass to Johnson eighton trying to break free Johnson can’t hit aaverage trailed by 14 for those just joining us fourth quarter here we’re just over two and A2 minutes into it Gordon the pass to Wood out to Hardway a three ball hands it from downtown they’ve been terrific from Beyond here in the second exactly what the doctor ordered those three-point bombs will erase the deficit quickly if they can keep it up time time out call the Suns you know what time jav MC checked in for the Mavericks LCA donic comes in for quickly and for the Suns Crowder he’s checked in for Cameron Johnson and it’s Paul and fio sh and with an update from the sidelines let’s check in with David Aldridge hey guys I have a chance to listen to what Monty Williams discussed with his players he was obviously pretty happy he said I know they’re not going to take us slightly next time you knew what the deal was with that Underdog roll coming into the game okay David thanks second shot opportunity that’s in and the Suns lead is cut to just nine points on the baskets from Gordon every time they get scored on during this run it’s come from inside the paint Paul passes to [Applause] aen Paul against donic down low here’s Booker and a great assist by ball as that one goes in not just an outside shooter Booker is also skilled at getting it done from that area as well that one drops for him coming off a big game his confidence couldn’t be higher and coach knows it showing no signs of slowing or cooling down they’re going to ride him as far as he can take it eighton against McGee they get the rebound Gear’s Crowder and it’s Phenix scoring again well I love the way he goes after it there I mean you’ve got to respect that he’s rewarded for his efforts of pursuing the ball donic takes to dwit pass to Gordon back to den witty donic way outside McGee the pass to Gordon and it’s out of bounds last Touch by Gordon Phoenix leading by 11 here’s Paul outside Crowder and Aaron Gordon get the whistle that time Gordon and that’ll be his third foul so far great we’re seeing more finds recently for the language that players use with the media is that a concern I don’t think it should be a concern and I’m not kidding the League’s going to have standards of the on TV you got to keep it together however I think that as a society we’re little more tolerant of certain words that are used phen in that one is no good he’s done a much better job of getting to the line here aggressively taking him inside and not shying away from contact I thought he was settling a bit in the first hich passes to McGee and the whistle blows it’s going to be on Luka donic that’s his fifth fou really just a great play to sacrifice his body and take the charge heads up action there reading the play and then beating him to the spot well done and so it’s dwy with it he’ll bring it up for the Dallas Mavericks a 12-point game and here’s doic from the ark that one Falls coming off D Woody’s feet D Wood’s got assist number five here tonight Bridges outside the Paul Hard Away against Bridges Booker ises to Crow back to Booker here’s the tear drop and he sinks the layup ass and that’s 19 points for dein Booker and nothing you can do I mean at times Booker is just going to score no matter what you throw at and he gets the basket officials Bing the whistle so chance at the line for one more so donic will go to the free throw line it’s be on J Crowder that free throw good from donic you know not many players have made the kind of Splash donic did in his first year in the league it was clear right away and really obvious this guy was no ordinary rookie he played like a vet from day one with three Booker sinks the three-pointer three Booker’s got a couple of three-pointers now in the fourth for the sun McGee trying to break free so impressive you see Don at his size handle the ball the way he does as a Defender he can really put you on your heel hooker outside passes it to [Music] Bridges hge with the block dwit he passes to Don drops in the layup for two donic has got 42 in the game and he’s clearly Leed the way offensively the question is can they ride him and get back into it pass to Bridges Suns moving the ball around here’s Hatton and no good that time now the Mavericks take it the other way on the wing Hard Away defended by Bridges Gordon for three shot clock reset for Dallas the shots good from McGee yeah you know with his size and presence in the post McGee has a lot of value on the offensive glass hooker [Music] outside here’s Paul and again it’s the Suns missing you know even though they’re on top in this one you’d like him to be better out there because he’s capable of being better sure would make things a lot easier too Gordon kicks to Hardway Bridges with the steel Paul against donic now here’s Paul guarded closer nice D from donic to the paint and with that shot the Suns lead is cut down to just three in the basket from Gordon hey it’s pretty simple when Gordon is connecting like he is now I mean you got to keep getting the ball to him he often takes high quality shots hooker up [Applause] chop he dishes it to Paul their offense Stone Cole another Miss there dwit he passes to Hardway when Hardaway junr is forcing the issue like that it draws the defense’s attention and I like aggressiveness as the score and the first one drops Tim Hardway J Hardway hits him both Phoenix has gone two for two from three-point land to start the fourth quarter Paul passes to Bridges Booker with [Applause] it six on the shot clock kicks it out to Paul tries from 16 and there’s the shot clock violation couldn’t get the shot off inside and those are the kinds of mistakes that are magnified when we’re talking about a game down the stretch donic against Paul to take the lead Gordon good and the assist goes to D Gordon’s got the lead up to 1 now for the man and an important part of every team’s in m at the hustles gets for the mans a high effort Branda defense has been paying off on him in this one they’ve managed to either block or alter a ton of their opponent shots and I love the fact they kept the pressure on really pushing that ball running it up the floor I love seeing that a team staying aggressive even when they’re playing [Applause] well on defense down all finds [Applause] Bridges donic against Paul can they get it no good there I wonder what the score would be if they weren’t controlling the back BL it’s clearly been their Edge and in a close game like this you look for every Edge you can find the sun shooting so far very efficient all around about 55% back the bridges from the ark it’s rebounded by Dallas Gordon inside he’s against Crowder left side Gordon donic dishes to Gordon and another assist for him that makes 15 assists he’s been one step ahead of the defense all game long they’ve been struggling yeah a bit of a dry spell for sure he is showing signs of maturity in these moments it’s clear that eight takes pride in coming through for his team second person foul third team foul he drops the first one and that will put them up by two Christian Woods check in for javelle mcge so gets them both and it’s a three-point game and he doesn’t let the pressure get to him cool and confident from the line and so it’s Paul with it bringing it up for the Phoenix [Applause] Sun not going to go that time nice D from donic the pass to [Applause] Wood and it’s Aon with the rebound aon’s got 11 rebounds in the game here’s Crowder count the Bas and the five Tim Hardway picks one uput play there no reason to risk when you can get yeah you want to get those sure things down the stretch and that close to the bucket he is a sure thing he throw good crowed exactly what this team needed completing the and one Dallas calls [Applause] timeout and the deep down we’ve got 113 left in the fourth quarter count that one no fear or hesitation in the eyes of Dante he loves the chance to take and make these biges the sun’s trailing Paul with the [Applause] ball Bridges outside [Applause] just five on the clock on the wing Booker shoots over dwit he Aon it drops and tie game that is a huge basket right there he is a great kid i’ love to see this from aen stepping up in the big moment letting his talent take over Bridges outside and trying for the go-ahead basket it doesn’t go in [Applause] back to den and stolen by Booker and it’s Paul top the key count it you can’t get a bigger bucket than that well that was one to he wanted the ball nobody else was taking that shot and the Mavericks call time here they trailed by two 19 seconds left to play in the final quarter here’s donic and it’s Devin Booker with the rebound and the whistle blows it’s going to be on Luka donic and so he’s picked up his final foul he will sit for the rest of this game never good to lose a player to fouls but fortunately he’s not the only Talent they have they got other guys that can fill his spot and they sent the wrong guy to the line here Paul tends to make the most of every trip he takes to the strike and now an intentional foul ball back as soon as possible honestly just doing what they have to in order to get the basketball back that’s a good foul though I like that I mean clock management crucial at this time of the game and a talented Swing Man Bridges is someone to keep an eye on as he continues to round out his game Dallas again missing and now we’ve got the intentional foul you have to foul but I’m sure they would have liked to foul someone different they really have another option I mean I thought they did a nice job getting it in his hands and making sure he was the guy who’ go to the line now here’s quickly the three from bons unable to get that one so the Suns win it and in the win a comfortable win in what was I think G David thank you as always and that’s going to do it tonight folks for our broadcast for Greg Anthony Clark Kellog and David ald this is Kevin
