Game 7 Rapid Recap: Suns season over, eclipsing before our very eyes

After going down to an 0-2 deficit in the second round of the NBA Playoffs, the Dallas Mavericks have won Game 7 by 33 points, 123-90, and will advance to play the Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference Finals.

The Phoenix Suns did not show up for the game. Oh there were players in the Suns uniforms, but they weren’t the guys we were watching these last two years. They weren’t the guys we cheered in the NBA Finals just last year. They weren’t the guys who won the most games in franchise history this year, and had an 8-win lead over the league’s next-best team.

These Suns were cooked. All-Star Devin Booker made one shot in the first three quarters. So did All-Star Chris Paul. That’s not good, folks. The Suns shot less than 30% in those three quarters.

The Mavericks didn’t even really look they were going to dominate, but the Suns were SO BAD they kinda had to.

The Suns weren’t even trying, folks. The Suns 57-27 deficit at half was the largest margin EVER in a Game 7. Luka Doncic and Spencer Dinwiddie are the first pair of teammates to have 20+ in a single half of a Game 7 in 45 years.

That’s it. I’m done.I’ve already put more effort into this recap than the Suns players put into this game.

Oh wait, final note: with just over 5 minutes left, Marquese Chriss made a wide open three against his former team in garbage time. He got the last laugh, didn’t he.

Suns go home for the summer.

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Game Flow

I don’t know if you believe in random signs meaning absolutely everything, but in pregame warmups we watched Luka Doncic miss every half court shot attempt, airballing many to the fans delight... followed quickly by Ayton swishing a half-court granny shot from the same spot on the first try. :)

Suns are down 2-0 after one possession each, but the Suns got both to go the way they wanted. Luka iso’d Ayton and made a turnaround fadeaway while Chris Paul got a pick-and-roll on the move to get an open middy.

Luka started off quite hot, making 8 quick points on four shots on their first four possessions and the Mavs had a 8-3 lead. But the pace seems more at the Suns liking so far.

The Mavs are still targeting Chris Paul, even down to a Dorian Finney-Smith drive on him into the post (where he drew a blocking call by getting Paul all the way under the basket.

Booker tried hard to drive on Luka for foul calls, and got one but otherwise spent too much time complaining after misses. Chris Paul aggressively drove around Luka for a layup attempt, but freshly-subbed Maxi Kleber got the blocked shot instead. Still, good aggression from CP. Jae Crowder made his first three, but then tried to bait fouls on the next two and missed.

This game’s adjustment for the Mavs, so far, is that DFS is very aggressive on trying to score, including a Luka-like jabjabjab pullup three on Ayton that missed badly.

So far Booker is trying hero shots and has started 0-4. He’s still getting trapped like crazy.

The Suns had a couple of bad live-ball turnovers, and the Mavs lead got up to 15-5.

After EIGHT MINUTES the Suns still only had 7 points. Good lord. They’re just lucky the Mavs are only 3-11 on threes.

Then Spencer Dinwiddie stepped in to a pair of off-the-dribble threes, because of course, and the Mavs lead got to 21-10. Suns are shooting 17% from the field at this point, 10 minutes into the game.

Bridges finally makes a shot, but then the Suns are still down 27-17 after one, and the fans actually were starting to boo on their final possession of the quarter. They finish the quarter shooting just 26% from the field — GIVING LIFE to a team that can’t have come in here assuming they would win this one.

• Luka Doncic is 5-7 from the field — only one of them an easy shot — and has 8 rebounds and 3 assists already.
• Booker and CP3 are 0-8 from the field for 2 points, 2 assists and 2 rebounds COMBINED.
• Dallas already has 14 three point attempts (pace of 56 for the game)
• Spencer Dinwiddie already has 8 points in this one.

That quarter cannot have gone much worse, yet the Suns are down only 10?

Second quarter

Monty shuffles the deck, leaves both Book and CP out there and brings in JaVale McGee because sure. Torrey Craig and Landry Shamet round out the group.

The lead quickly built up to 34-22 on Spencer Dinwiddie scoring five more quick points. He’s now 3-4 on threes, 4-5 from the field for 13 points.

These Suns somehow appear to be dead, and the Mavericks are going for the jugular. Not sure what else to say at this point.

My last entry was about 15 minutes ago. The Suns have scored 3 points since then. It’s now 46-25 Mavericks.

I’m gonna stop making entries in this game story if the Suns aren’t going to play basketball.

As we approach halftime...

Spencer Dinwiddie, with 21 points, nearly has as many points as all the Suns combined, who have 27.

Luka Doncic DOES have as many points as the Suns combined.

Suns fans loudly boo the team at halftime of Game 7 of the second round — with the Suns down 57-27 at half.

Doncic: 27, 9 and 3. Dinwiddie: 21 and 3.

For the Suns NO ONE HAS MORE THAN FIVE POINTS. NO. ONE.

And to top it off, the Suns players don’t even look like they are trying out there. Not trying at all. Booker is 0-7. Paul is 0-4. Bridges is 2-8. Ayton is 1-4.

What do they know that we don’t know? How is this even possible?

Second Half

Should the Suns even both coming out for the second half?

Certainly, the starting lineup should sit. Cameron Payne is taking shots in warmups.

Unfortunately, the whole starting lineup got another chance to start the second half, with a missed fallaway three their opening shot of the quarter, and a PAIR of missed free throws.

UGH.

Booker made his first shot with 4:57 to go in the third. That’s two between him and Paul. And they’ve played 29 and 26 minutes each (of a possible 31).

With 2:40 left in the third quarter, the Mavs have 85 points on 53% shooting, including 50% on 30 on threes. Suns have 47 points on 31% shooting, including 20% on 20 threes.

I’m just giving you the numbers, folks.

And I’m done...