Luka Dončić was ruthless, scoring at ease and laughing in the face of Phoenix’s agony
Paul didn’t give anything away after the game. He said it was just one loss. He said his only message to the team was it’s time to get back to work. He said he feels like they’ll be back next year . The reality is it’s hard to fathom Paul being in a position this advantageous again. Luka is not going anywhere. Presumably the Lakers will be somewhat better. The Nuggets and Clippers will be healthier. The Warriors still have Steph, Klay, and Dray.
For his entire career, Paul has been one of the players in the league most adept at forcing a game to be played under his terms.. Which made it all the more shocking that as Game 7 slipped away early, he couldn’t get a grip. The Mavs’ defense deserves a ton of credit, from their full-court pressure to crisp rotations. That still doesn’t make Paul’s play less of a headscratcher.
Meanwhile, Devin Booker struggled with blitzes and couldn’t find the hoop. Bridges went 0-for-3 from beyond the arc, which means he finished the series with five made threes, or as many as Spencer Dinwiddie hit in Game 7 alone. Ayton played only 17 minutes amid clear tension with Williams. Nobody stepped up, even though as Cam Johnson put it, the “want and desire” was very much there.The loss was a record-scratch moment for the Suns.