PHOENIX — The Dallas Mavericks had their bags packed for San Francisco while the favored Phoenix Suns were ready for Bora Bora, 10 minutes into an elimination game.
With every basket, the Suns got tight and the Mavericks got more confident, squeezing on the Suns’ All-Star backcourt until they were dry — except it was the first quarter, with Chris Paul and Devin Booker looking out of sorts and out of answers.
The lead could’ve ballooned to 60 if Dallas wanted it to, playing loose and free while the Suns couldn’t muster the magic that garnered them a trip to the NBA Finals last summer — blowing a 2-0 lead and surrendering a 123-90 Game 7 loss at Footprint Center in Phoenix.