When it comes to losing Game 1 in playoffs, Mavs have been there, done that

PHOENIX — Although they’re just one game into their playoff series against the Phoenix Suns, this is a been-there-done-that occasion for the Dallas Mavericks. And they would like to remind their fans that just because they dropped Game 1 of their best-of-seven second-round playoff series to the Suns on Monday, 121-114, the sky isn’t falling.

The Mavs want to remind everyone that they also lost Game 1 of their first-round series against the Utah Jazz, 99-93 – in Dallas. And they recovered nicely and won four of the next five games and the series.

That’s the blueprint the Mavs want to follow against the Suns, starting with Game 2, which is 9 p.m. Wednesday at Footprint Center.

The Mavs have also done an eloquent job of bouncing back following a loss. In fact, since Dec. 29, the Mavs are an impressive 11-2 after they’ve lost a game.

In other words, they don’t take too kindly to losing games.

“We’ve been able to bounce back more times than not after a loss,” guard Jalen Brunson said. “We just know what we have to do.

“We know what we did wrong (and) where we can get better. It’s just how we’ve been able to grow this year. Now we’ve just got to continue to do that.”

What the Mavs really want to continue doing is what they did in the final eight minutes of Game 1 when they outscored the Suns, 29-15.

“That’s how we should start the game,” Brunson said. “We played a lot harder, we played with better pace. This is how we have to start.”

It must have made the Mavs cringe when they had to watch film of them falling behind 9-0 in the opening three minutes of Monday’s game, and 22-7 in the opening seven minutes. They have to do everything within their powers to prevent that from happening Wednesday.

“Just figure out what we did wrong, play the game from the start instead of waiting, instead of easing into the game,” Brunson said. “But give them credit. We just got to bounce back.

“Just watching it, obviously we know that we have a lot of improvements to do.”

It’s not just one area coach Jason Kidd can pick out and point to as the one area the Mavs must focus on and clean up.

“We have to be better in all areas, offensively and defensively,” Kidd said. “We did do some good things, but the one thing we’ve got to do better is rebound the ball.

“But again, we’ve got to execute the game plan. We don’t feel good about losing, but we understand what we have to do better.”

With six players grabbing at least five rebounds apiece, Phoenix won the rebounding battle, 51-36. That includes a 13-7 advantage in offensive rebounds.

“You can’t give them opportunities where you give them rebounds and tip after tip,” Kidd said. “You’ve got to be able to come up with the rebound.

“That’s all five (players) on the floor. No matter if we’re playing small or big. We’ve got to rebound the ball.”

However, Kidd was pleased that the Mavs fought until the clock expired.

“We played to the end and that’s what this team does,” he said. “We won’t stop playing. We play to the end.

“We did some good things, but we’ve got to start the game that way. We can’t ease into it. We were playing catch-up all night.”

Brunson admitted that he eased into Game 1 when he scored just three points in the first half on 1-of-6 shooting, but wound up scoring 10 points in the second half on 5-of-10 shooting.

It reminded Brunson of Game 1 against Utah when he scored 24 points on 9-of-24 shooting, but bounced back and scored a career-high 41 points in Game 2 and added 31 more points in Game 3.

“I ended up easing into Game 1 in that last series, too,” Brunson said. “I just go back to the drawing board and think about what I did (in Game 2 against the Jazz) and see what I did and just adjust.”

COMMUNICATION MUST BE BETTER: The Mavs admit that many of their lapses on defense occurred due to lack of communication. A lot of that stemmed from the fact that it was so loud inside Footprint Center that the Mavs couldn’t hear themselves trying to communicate among each other.

“We talked about it as a team and we’ve got to be better,” Kidd said. “Those guys agreed that our communication was not at a high level last night.

“And so, just understand we have to talk on both sides of the ball to find a way to win. All of us have to talk and we have to listen to what’s being said.”

Guard Jalen Brunson agreed.

“When things are going bad, when things are going wrong and the place is rocking, that’s when we’ve got to stick together and just try to find ways to get on the same page,” Brunson said. “That’s not a time for us to start thinking about what we might have done wrong.

“It’s a time for us kind of get together and just kind of move on, but at the same time know we can.”

BRIEFLY: Center Deandre Ayton led the Suns with 25 points in Game 1. But it’s guard Devin Booker, who has a history of forking out big games against the Mavs, who was a huge key in the series opener with 23 points, and team highs of nine rebounds and eight assists. “Booker set the tone,” guard Jalen Brunson said. “You got to give him credit. I think all of them from the jump were just ready to go. They just kind of applied the pressure. We just got to respond, and we can’t wait as long as we did. He’s a great player, he did a lot of great things and we just got to adjust.”. .Coach Jason Kidd said when the Mavs go to a smaller lineup with forward Dorian Finney-Smith playing center, that has been an effective lineup for his team. “We’re going to go small,” Kidd said. “We have no choice. That’s just the way we play.” Kidd added that the Suns produced the best record in the NBA this season at 64-18, because: “They are very good. They were in the (NBA) Finals last year. They won the Western Conference. So they understand the importance of starting games, and we just have to do a better job of starting. They are a good team, but there are only eight teams playing right now. All the teams that are playing are good. We understand that and understand we just have to do a better job.”. .Spencer Dinwiddie was just 3-of-8 from the field with eight points and Game 1, and Reggie Bullock was only 2-of-7 from the floor with seven points. “Reg had good looks, Spencer had good looks,” Kidd said. “They just missed them. Hopefully in Game 2 we can get those same looks.”

Twitter: @DwainPrice