I agree with a lot of this. I don’t think Dallas can win a game 7 road game. I do hope they play a close game at the very least. But the trend shows it will be a blow out.
I think some of the struggles Phoenix have had have a lot to do with the way Dallas’ roll players played in Dallas, particularly on defense. Defense is the key to this game. Dallas are better this year than most give them credit for, if you mainly look at their results since January. They had a very poor start to the season.
The Mavs have certainly defended better and shot better in Dallas, which isn't that unusual, especially in the playoffs, their role players certainly ride the tide. But what irks me is the Suns committing so many unforced errors on the road, throwing the ball away repeatedly and in spots without much pressure, they were doing it in the Pelicans series too. They also forget their offense. At home guys seem more willing to shoot, probably because the fans go "OOOOOHH" as soon as a guy gets an open look. On the road the Suns keep passing up open shots, forcing guys to take contested rubbish late in the clock.
At home they're a completely different team, a much higher level of energy and guys fired up to attack and score.
But this is a team that came close to setting the NBA record for road winning percentage... I know regular season is different but they're 1-4 on the road now. They need to find their ruthlessness again if they want to accomplish their goals.
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