Phoenix Suns Defeat Dallas Mavericks In Game 2 Despite Luka Doncic Beating Michael Jordan's Record

The Phoenix Suns take a 2-0 lead in the semi-finals round of the Western Conference as they defeated the Dallas Mavericks in Game 2 on Wednesday.

With 28 points, six rebounds, and eight assists, NBA veteran point guard Chris Paul led the Suns to a 129-109 victory.

The Suns were only up by six points, 89-83, entering the fourth quarter, but Phoenix went on fire, scoring 40 points in the final stretch, including 14 from Paul, who turns 37 on Friday.

Suns guard Devin Booker, who led his team in scoring with 30 points, was asked by reporters about Paul's longevity, according to CNN. He expressed his admiration for Paul's long career in the NBA. But there is something about CP3 that he admires more.

"It impresses us every time we see it, but it doesn't surprise us. It's just the will to win," Booker said.

Subsequently, per Fast Break, Paul praised Booker for being reliable, especially on the offensive end, which helped keep The Suns' momentum throughout the game.

"The end of games...it's exciting for the fans and as players you just always have to lean on the work...It all goes back to the work, you can't cheat the game," Paul said.

Paul and the Suns were the first seed in the Western Conference and had the best record in the NBA at the end of the regular season, with 64 wins and18 loses.

In the summer of 2020, Chris Paul got traded to the Phoenix from the Oklahoma City Thunder. In his first season with the Suns last year, they reached the NBA finals.

The journey to the playoffs also broke the franchise's ten-year playoff drought, and it marked Devin Booker's first trip to the postseason in his career.

Mavs' Other Players Need To Step Up

Meanwhile, Dallas superstar guard Luka Doncic had an incredible performance with 35 points, five rebounds, and seven assists on 13-of-22 shooting. However, he lacked support from his teammates. Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd acknowledged that problem, which will make beating the league's best team more challenging for them as they move on to a crucial Game 3.

"He had a great game, but no one else showed," said Kidd in the post-game interview. "We've got to get other guys shooting the ball better."

Doncic Beats Jordan's Playoff Record

Despite the loss, Doncic achieved a milestone in his basketball career as he overtakes Michael Jordan for the highest playoff scoring average of all time.

Doncic had played 16 postseason games in his career with a scoring average of 32.7 points, as the Mavs entered their second-round series against the Phoenix Suns, second only to Michael Jordan in NBA history, according to a report from The Sporting News.

The Slovenian basketball superstar now has the highest playoff scoring average ever after scoring 45 points in Game 1 and 35 points in Game 2.

Now he is averaging 40.0 points per game in the second round of the playoffs, after two games against the Suns.

Jordan averaged 33.4 points over 179 postseason games in his career.

Doncic just needed 16 games to get 500 points in the playoffs, the fewest since Jordan, and it seems he is right at home on the NBA's grandest stage and is rubbing shoulders with one of the best scorers in the history of the league.

Tags

NBA Playoffs, Chris paul, Phoenix suns, Dallas mavericks