3 takeaways from Dallas Mavericks Game 2 playoff loss to Suns

Takeaway from Dallas Mavericks Game 2 playoff loss to Suns: 3. Defense

The Mavs defense has zero answers in stopping the Suns. They hunted Luka Doncic frequently in Game 2 with Chris Paul and Devin Booker forcing switches and getting easy buckets at the expense of the Mavericks superstar.

It is the second straight game Dallas has given up 120-plus points. The Mavericks allowed the Suns to score 30 or more in three of the four quarters, including a dominant final period where they outscored Dallas by 14 and had 40 points. Phoenix shot 64.5 percent from the field and 52.0 percent on their threes on Wednesday night. The Mavs need to be better if they want to win a game in this series.

Depth has played a massive factor in this series. Deandre Ayton was the Suns leading scorer in Game 1, but he had just nine points in Game 2. CP3 and Booker took over on May 4 as they scored a combined 58 points in the comfortable win over the Mavericks.

What can head coach Jason Kidd pull out of his bag of tricks to stay in front of the Suns guards? Can Dallas stop dribble penetration and force Phoenix into difficult shots for the full 48 minutes? If not, the Mavericks will be headed home as the Suns play in their second straight Western Conference Final.