Dallas 102, Phoenix 93 (Mavs win series, 4-2)
Things were looking pretty grim for the Mavs when they were trailing by 18 points in the middle of the second quarter. But Dallas showed a lot of heart – a reflection of their coach, Avery Johnson – and outscored the Suns, 76-49, the rest of the way, clinching the series and stamping their ticket to the NBA Finals. The Mavs were once again led by their forwards, Dirk Nowitzki (24 points, 10 rebounds) and Josh Howard (20 points, 15 rebounds), and the duo is quickly becoming a force to be reckoned with in these playoffs. This year’s Most Improved Player, Boris Diaw, led all scorers with 30 points, while Steve Nash chipped in with 19 points and nine assists. If Phoenix gets a healthy Amare Stoudemire back next season, the Suns will be a scary, scary team.
Meanwhile, the Mavs move on to play the Heat and they’ll have to find a way to deal with Dwayne Wade and Shaquille O’Neal. Expect Erick Dampier and DaSangana Diop to have much bigger roles in the upcoming series, as the Mavs will need their girth to try to defend O’Neal inside. The good news for Dallas is that they’ll have home court advantage in the series. The Finals start Thursday on ABC.
