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By the Numbers: Mavs burned, Suns gain a game

ByJay Knodell|

The Dallas Mavericks suffered a 98-92 loss on the road in Phoenix Sunday, erasing a 17-point deficit in the third quarter, and actually leading by six with five minutes to go, but ultimately failing to get stops and hit shots down the stretch.

After playing well, and with playoff intensity, in their wins over the Clippers and Thunder last week, the Mavericks looked flat for most of the game against the Suns. It’s their second straight loss, and with two straight games coming up against the surging San Antonio Spurs and a challenging schedule to close out the regular season the Mavericks need to figure something out. Soon.

Check out the highlights, if you dare, and the standout stats from the game.

18%: The most discussed aspect of the game was the performance of Monta Ellis. Dallas’ leading scorer shot just 18% from the floor, going 4-22 and 0-3 from three-point range. Worse was his performance down the stretch. Bryan Gutierrez summed it up perfectly.

Remember, the Mavericks were UP by six with five minutes to go. Rick Carlisle defended his sometimes polarizing shooting guard, but even Ellis’ biggest supporters have to be left shaking their heads. We’ve seen Carlisle bench nearly everyone at one point or another when they weren’t performing well, it’s unclear why Ellis is impervious to the same treatment. Early on in the season Ellis was Dallas’ top fourth-quarter performer and their designated closer. The results were great. But he hasn’t been so great in the final frame since the All-Star break. Check this stat out, again from Gutierrez.

The Mavericks aren’t going anywhere with Monta in a slump. He won’t garner the type of contract he’s looking for this offseason if he doesn’t start playing better, either. It’ll be interesting to see how things play out, but this scathing Ellis analysis from ESPN’s Tim MacMahon doesn’t inspire much confidence in regard to Ellis remaining a Maverick after this season. 

51.3%: The Suns shot 51.3% from the floor against the Mavericks. Every starter scored in double figures, led by Eric Bledsoe with 20. Bledsoe has used the Mavericks as his personal whipping boys in three meetings this year. He had nine assists, 3 steals, and 2 blocks to go with his 20 points in this one, and has averaged 18.3 points, 9.0 assists, and 6.3 rebounds against Dallas. He had a triple double back in December in Phoenix’s 124-115 win. 

6: Despite the Suns making more shots than they missed, and Dallas shooting an awful 38.5% from the field, the Mavericks had control of this game down the stretch. The Maverick defense wasn’t spectacular but they did have nine steals as a team and forced 21 turnovers in total. This loss was on the offense, which went dry in the desert during crunch time. The Mavericks scored just six points in the final seven minutes of the game as Phoenix regained the lead and held on for the victory. 

0: The loss dropped the Mavericks to 0-3 against the Suns this season. No Goran Dragic or Isaiah Thomas this time around, but the results were the same. Phoenix is in 9th place out West, sitting six games behind the 7th place Mavericks. They’ve won four in a row. It might be a little too soon to look over their shoulders, but if Phoenix continues their strong play and the Mavericks continue to slide, things could get a bit dicey in the season’s final days. Keep an eye on Phoenix.

The Mavericks have Monday night off before facing the Spurs at home Tuesday.

Next: Mavs: Recipe for Deep Run in Playoffs

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