After falling 2-0 to the Phoenix Suns, the Dallas Mavericks protected homecourt and tied the West top seeds at 2-2. Now, the next task for Luka Doncic and co. is clear: win on the road.

Doncic admitted as much in his media availability after Game 4, emphasizing that winning away from home could be the major deciding factor in the series.

“I think it’s going to come down to whoever wins on the road first,” the Mavs star shared, per Brad Townsend of the Dallas Morning News.

The Suns dominated in the first two games of the series at Footprint Center, and considering they have homecourt advantage, the Mavs need to do everything they can to take one win on the road.

Of course that is easier said than done. The Suns are the best team in the 2021-22 regular season, and that is primarily because they have been so good at home–going 32-9 overall. The Mavs, meanwhile, are average on the road with a 23-18 record.

If there is one thing Luka Doncic and the Mavs have going for them, however, it's the fact that they have seemed to discover how to handle Chris Paul, Devin Booker and the Suns. They were brilliant defensively in Games 3 and 4 and made life hard for Phoenix on the offensive end.

It remains to be seen if the Mavs can finally beat the Suns in Game 5 on the road, but they have to be brimming with confidence right now after their back-to-back wins.