PHOENIX SUNS (2-0) AT MAVERICKS (0-2)
Time: 8:30 p.m., Friday.
Place: American Airlines Center, Dallas
TV: ESPN
Radio: The Eagle, 97.1 FM; Univision 99.1 FM (Spanish)
About the Mavericks: The Mavs are banking on a change of venue being the ticket that will possibly get them a couple of wins and tie this series at 2-2. In addition to tonight’s game, the Mavs will also host Game 4 Sunday at 2:30 p.m. . .The Mavs know they have to find a way to give point guard Luka Doncic some help on the offensive end of the floor. Doncic scored 45 points in Game 1 of this series and 35 in Game 2 for a total of 80 points. The other four starters for the Mavs scored a combined total of just 70 points in the opening two games of this series. . .Spencer Dinwiddie has come off the bench with 30 points in the first two games, while Maxi Kleber has contributed 28 points off the bench in this series. . .The Mavs have fallen behind, 9-0, in each of the first two games in this series. While the Mavs never led in Game 1, they did get back within four points of the Suns in the second quarter, and also outscored Phoenix in the fourth quarter, 35-25. In Game 2, the Mavs battled back and took a five-point lead in the second quarter and were still within six points (89-83) of the Suns after the third quarter. But Phoenix eventually erupted in the fourth 
quarter when they outscored the Mavs, 40-26, and led by as much as 27 points.
About the Suns: The Suns have been on fire in this series. In their 121-114 Game 1 victory, the Suns shot 50.5 percent from the floor and 39.3 percent from three-point territory. And in Game 2, the Suns shot 64.5 percent from the field and 52 percent from beyond the three-point arc. . .Devin Booker and Chris Paul has been a proverbial thorn in the side of the Mavs. Booker had 23 points, nine rebounds and eight assists in the series opener, and added another 30 points in Game 2. Paul contributed 19 points, five rebounds and five assists in Game 1, and finished Game 2 with 28 points, six rebounds and eight assists. . .Booker scored 12 points in the third quarter of Game 2, and Paul scored 14 points in the fourth quarter of Game 2. . .For the series, Booker is 18-of-39 from the floor and 6-of-13 from three-point range, while Paul is 18-of-29 from the field and 3-of-8 from downtown. . .The Suns have gotten solid production from their supporting cast of Deandre Ayton (34 points, 11 rebounds), Jae Crowder (26 points, 15 rebounds) and Mikal Bridges (24 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists) in the first two games in this series. Also, Cameron Johnson has come off the bench with 26 points in the opening two games.
Twitter: @DwainPrice
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