'We didn't start well, but we didn't give up, we're still holding out the game. Jason Kidd said this after the game.
In the Mavericks' game against the Suns, the Lone Rangers trailed by 10 points in the first quarter, and the attack improved in the second quarter, but the Suns could not prevent the point difference from continuing to widen. In the second half of the game, the Suns almost crushed the Lone Rangers in one go, with a point difference of 21 points at one point, and then the Lone Rangers' Jedi counterattack was fruitless.
In the end, the Lone Rangers lost 114-121.
Throughout the game, the Lone Rangers are a more passive side, the Suns always have a way to control the game, the Lone Rangers are like elephants stuck in the swamp. The Suns played well in the game, with five players in the starting lineup and Cameron Johnson and Cameron Payne on the bench, leaving the opposing Lone Rangers' defense behind the other.
The Suns know it's not easy to defend Doncic, but it seems to work by cutting off the opponent's other points of attack and leaving Doncic alone. As a result, the firepower of Jaylen Bronson and Spencer Dinwiddie was infinitely weaker, which could help Doncic's attack points scatter sporadically without destruction, contributing to Doncic's "God's Fury" again.
— Doncic shot 15-of-30 (including 4-of-11 three-pointers), 11-of-14 free throws, and a sumptuous 45 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists.
Doncic finished playing this game, and the first 17 playoff games had a cumulative score of 568 points, second only to Michael Jordan's 646 points and Wilt Chamberlain's 595 points. Doncic's playoff average of 33.4 points per game makes him comparable to michael Jordan, the only two players in history to average 30+ points per playoff game.
Of course, whether Doncic can continue this scoring momentum throughout his career is unknown.
When Doncic entered the league, his template was the league's "first man" at the time, LeBron James, and their similarity was that they were all-round and able to influence the team in various ways. After several seasons in the league, Doncic is already an MVP player, but he has not yet led the team further on the playoff stage.
Eliminating the Jazz in the first round of the season, Doncic led the team to the Western Conference semifinals, and the Suns in front of them were a formidable opponent. Before the series began, the Suns were asked the most questioned questions about how to defend Doncic in the game. Defending Doncic is actually a difficult job, as illustrated by the outcome of the first match.
Doncic scored 26 points in the first half of the game and 45 points in the whole game, but unfortunately it was an empty cut.
This is the result that makes Doncic a little uncomfortable, this season's Lone Rangers will have a certain expectation, and Jaylen Bronson's brilliant performance in the first round definitely injected a boost into this team. But in the semifinals against the Suns, Bronson didn't play as strongly as he did in the first round, and you can't expect too much from Bronson, and his stability is indeed unknown.
Michael Jordan, once depressed on the playoff stage for a long time, then jumped over the nemesis pistons and soared.
And Doncic? He is constantly changing partners around him, and until now he has not seen any signs of success, when will there be a suitable teammate to help him go further? Of course, the current Lone Rangers can't think so much, and Jason Kidd can only think about how to adjust the lineup configuration and strive to continue the suspense of the series.
The long-term idea, let Mark Cuban solve it.
(Text/Yan Wujun)