The top-seeded Phoenix Suns took care of business in Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals against the Dallas Mavericks on Monday night, winning 121-114. They never trailed in this contest and seemed to be in cruise control for the entire 48 minutes, despite Luka Doncic going off for 45 points in the series opener.
After a first game, there are always some overreactions as to what will occur moving forward. While we don't want to get ahead of ourselves, the Suns did prove a lot in Game 1.
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2 overreactions to Suns' Game 1 win over Mavs
Suns were never stressed
Phoenix really put together an efficient performance, with the entire starting five finishing in double-figures. Deandre Ayton led the charge with 25 points, while Devin Booker dropped 23 and dished out nine assists. Like they've done all season long, the Suns played as a collective unit and even when the Mavs were making a bit of a run, Monty Williams' group never stressed out. They just did their thing and took more of a lead.
Some teams can panic when their opponent starts to put pressure on them, but Phoenix has a clear identity and knows exactly what they're capable of on both ends of the floor. This is what makes them such a legitimate title contender. The Suns are able to slow the game down and respond when it's necessary. It's just one game, but Phoenix should remain extremely confident as the series goes on. Plus, Dallas has no answers for Ayton's dominance down low.
Suns contained the Mavs' supporting cast
The clear strength for Dallas in the first round was their supporting cast who essentially carried them early in the Utah series before Luka came back. Jalen Brunson averaged nearly 30 points per night in that matchup but he was extremely quiet on Monday, scoring just 13. In fact, no one on the Mavs' roster had more than 19 points aside from Doncic's insane night. Sure, they were missing shots but it's also because the Suns were making their lives extremely difficult defensively. Their perimeter defense was on point and Ayton poses a real problem for Dallas inside because of his ability to switch off and guard 1-5.
Dallas is capable of shooting the ball well, especially from deep. They lived from the three-point line in the opening round, but their opponent was Utah, not the Suns. Williams' group was staying in front of the shooters and will continue to do so. Doncic is going to do his damage but the Suns also hounded him and played very physically.
The Suns are truly a fantastic two-way team and it showed in Game 1. Although the end result was only a seven-point win, Phoenix never felt the pressure and made it known that Dallas is going to have a very tough task ahead. Unless the Mavs' entire rotation comes to play every single night, the Suns should have no problems advancing to the conference finals. They proved just that on Monday. It's not an overreaction either, it's just simply the truth.
Game 2 is scheduled for Wednesday night at the Footprint Center.
