Suns take 2-1 lead in second-round series
(Agencies)
Updated: 2005-05-14 15:45

Steve Nash returned to Dallas for the first time since winning the MVP award to a smattering of boos amid plenty of cheers.

Then he opened the game with an airball on a 3-pointer and everyone was hooting. What followed was the kind of playoff performance that has Mavericks fans wringing their hands.

Nash scored 27 points, his most this postseason, and had 17 assists, his most ever in a playoff game, to help the Phoenix Suns beat Dallas 119-102 on Friday night to take a 2-1 lead in the Western Conference semifinal series.

Phoenix Suns' Steve Nash (13) drives the ball around Dallas Mavericks' Jason Terry in Game 3 of the second round of the NBA playoffs in Dallas, Friday, May 13, 2005. [AP]

"The MVP always plays great," said Amare Stoudemire, who had 37 points, 14 rebounds and five blocks. "He draws so much attention that it leaves most of us open and creates a lot of easy baskets."

Dallas fans remember Nash doing that for their team the last six years. Suns coach Mike D'Antoni has seen it all season, but still gets a thrill from his floppy-haired Canadian point guard.

D'Antoni joked that Nash's stats this game made for "not a bad career." Smiling, he added, "But he had seven turnovers, so I'll have to talk to him."

The mood was light afterward because of how well Phoenix did coming off its first loss of the postseason and in its first game without injured starter Joe Johnson since he was acquired three seasons ago.

Johnson stayed home because of an eye injury in Game 2 that led to surgery Thursday. He's definitely out through Game 4 on Sunday night and his teammates seemed unsure whether their third-leading scorer will even be back in the postseason. Although the team set up his locker, D'Antoni called it "wishful thinking."

The Suns were still able to make 52 percent of their shots, going 11-of-22 on 3-pointers.

Shawn Marion, who was 7-of-17 on 3s in the playoffs, went 5-of-7 from behind the arc and scored 21 points. Quentin Richardson scored all 12 of his points on 3s.

"We got one for Joe," Nash said. "We stuck together and got behind one another. We're a resilient team."

Despite everything that clicked for Phoenix, Dallas pulled to 97-96 with 5:50 to go.

The Mavs then missed their next seven shots and allowed a 15-0 run that started with consecutive 3s by Marion and Richardson and included a left-handed hook shot by Nash over good buddy Dirk Nowitzki near the end. Before the spurt was over, fans were booing and heading for the exits.

Dallas coach Avery Johnson was most upset that his team didn't make it to the foul line in the fourth quarter. He also could've been upset by their 3-point shooting, 1-of-18, with the only make a momentum-builder from Jerry Stackhouse at the end of the third quarter.

Nowitzki had 21 points and 13 rebounds, but shot 8-for-24 with several misses during the game-deciding drought. He started 3-of-12 and never found his stroke.

Stackhouse scored 20, but Michael Finley had just 11 after scoring 31 in Game 2. Erick Dampier was again a non-factor, with only four points and four rebounds in 13 minutes.

"We don't have anybody that can play physical with Stoudemire," Johnson said. "Every time (Dampier) gets in trouble we have to go small, so hopefully he can stay out of foul trouble."

Stoudemire was really hyped up after a brief rest early in the second quarter, returning with Dallas on an 8-0 run following a 27-27 tie and making two straight basket-shaking dunks over Finley and Stackhouse.

Stoudemire went at Dampier next, drawing his third foul and sending him to the bench with 9:03 left in the half.

On defense, Stoudemire got a technical foul for slapping away Finley's arms when he pointed at Stoudemire, suggesting a foul should've been called on him. He later swatted a scooping layup by Nowitzki into the front row and also had to be pulled away from getting into Josh Howard's face after fouling him.

"I came out wanting to set a tone, let them know we're here to play," said Stoudemire, who became the first Phoenix player to score at least 30 points in three straight playoff games.

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