Chris Paul and the Phoenix Suns are one of the most clutch teams in the NBA, and the Dallas Mavericks are well aware of that fact after being on the receiving end of such punishment. With that said, Jason Kidd and his Mavs will be wary of their second round opponents and will likely have their focus on closing out games.

The Mavs have already lost nine straight to the Suns, and they just can't seem to figure out a way to stop CP3 from dissecting their defense and obliterating them. As Brad Townsend of the Dallas Morning News highlighted, Luka Doncic and co. have lost their last five games to Phoenix despite leading entering the fourth quarter in all those matches.

Making matters worse, the Mavs just collapsed in those instances, allowing the Suns to score at least 30 points in the final frame. Of course Paul was a big factor for Phoenix in their clutch-time heroics, as he has also proven time and time again during their clash with the New Orleans Pelicans.

Another big problem for the Mavs is they can't simply think about how to close games. They have to be consistent all game long since the Suns are 50-0 this season when they are ahead going into the fourth quarter–and that includes the playoffs.

It is worth noting that the Mavs were without Luka Doncic in two of their three meetings in the regular season, and the Suns haven't face the current roster featuring Spencer Dinwiddie and Davis Bertans. Still, Dallas needs to be at their best if they want to take down the NBA's best team record-wise.