It's winner-take-all time for the Phoenix Suns and Dallas Mavericks in the 2022 NBA playoffs. Chris Paul and Devin Booker will look to get the Suns back to the Western Conference Finals while Luka Doncic and the Mavs hope to upset the title favorites in Game 7.
Both teams have defended their homecourts this series and even ran the opposing team out of the gym at times. With Phoenix having the advantage in the do-or-die game, their chances of getting back to the conference finals look pretty good.
Still, the same Mavs team that has made them look like chumps will be showing up for Game 7. Homecourt advantage helps but it won't stop Luka Doncic or the Mavs' array of perimeter shooters alone. Dallas has nothing to lose, as they were not expected to come this far or look good as they have against the defending conference champions. Teams like that usually come ready to go.
The Suns have to come out with their best performance. They have the mindset, now they need to implement the right plan.
3 major things Suns must do to eliminate Mavs in Game 7
3. Make Luka Doncic go through Mikal Bridges every time
It may be tempting for the Suns to throw everybody they can at Doncic and let everyone else beat them. But Doncic's superb playmaking will still help the Mavs get the advantage once he quickly passes out of it. When Donic shrinks the floor, he finds room for his perimeter shooters and kicks off great ball movement.
Game 7 will be extremely important for Mikal Bridges, the Suns' defensive anchor who has matched up with Doncic and largely failed to slow him down. Matching up with Doncic is always tough but Bridges has the talent to disrupt him. One thing Monty Williams should do is not switch on Doncic. Let Bridges guard him every time and have him fight through screens.
Phoenix has to shut out Doncic's passing windows to the best of their ability and force him to pick up his dribble. This doesn't necessarily mean they have to let Bridges guard him on an island. Rather, they should play the passing lanes and make a move on Doncic when he is closer to shooting. This is dependent on Bridges staying in front of him reliably.
2. Take advantage of Deandre Ayton's size advantage
The Mavs run lineups with Dwight Powell and Maxi Kleber at the center spot. Both of them are undersized for the position. With Deandre Ayton, the Suns have the perfect weapon to take advantage of their lack of size.
Ayton has been too much to handle for the Mavs close to the hoop. He has converted 29 of his 38 shots in the restricted arc during this series and 12 of 27 shots from other spots in the paint. Whether it be posting up or as a roller, he has made the Mavs pay time after time.
Relying on Ayton's highly efficient interior scoring will also help the Suns lessen their burden on transition defense. The Mavs got out on the break and made them pay often in Game 6. Cutting down the opportunities the Mavs get for easy points will be hugely important.
1. Get Chris Paul going
For whatever reason, Paul has been a mess in games in Dallas. He has 15 assists and 14 turnovers in those three games and has been held under 15 points in each contest. When Paul gets going, he is nearly unstoppable because of his slick handles and shooting touch. Phoenix needs that version of CP3 more than ever.
Paul has to get going not only for himself but for his teammates. The Suns rely on his savvy playmaking to get by and will falter if the Mavs continue to make him cough up the ball. The Suns could kill two birds with one stone by spamming Paul and Ayton in the pick-and-roll. However they do it, they need to get the best version of Paul possible.
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