Nash Sends Suns Into Conference Finals
DALLAS – Down by 16 points late in the third quarter, the Phoenix Suns weren’t worried. They knew they still hadn’t hit their stride. Then Steve Nash got them going – all the way to the Western Conference finals. Showing why he was the NBA MVP, Nash forced overtime on a 3-pointer with 5.7 seconds left, then made the 3 that put the Suns ahead for good in a 130-126, series-ending victory over the Dallas Mavericks on Friday night.
After six seasons of trying to win a title in Dallas, Nash sent his former teammates into the offseason in a way that showed why the Suns consider themselves the team to beat. They believe their offense can’t be held down forever and they made a convincing argument in Game 6 of the second-round series, scoring 66 points in the final 21 minutes after managing only 64 points in the first 32.
“Our mentality all year has been, if we get down we can easily come back,” said Shawn Marion, who had a career playoff-best 38 points and 16 rebounds. “Sixteen points is nothing for us. We can score 16 points in a couple of minutes.”
Nash scored eight points in the final minute of regulation, then had seven more in overtime. He hit his final five shots and finished with 39 points, 12 assists and nine rebounds – one rebound shy of his second straight triple-double.
After the game, Nash shared a brief hug with former teammate Dirk Nowitzki. Later, Nash thanked the Mavs and their fans for six wonderful years, saying it was “difficult to see them go home.” He never mentioned team owner Mark Cuban, who came up several years and more than $20 million shy of Phoenix in his last contract offer.
Nash might have been too humble to rub it in, but his teammates weren’t.
“They have to be crazy to let that boy go,” forward Quentin Richardson said. “Thank you, Dallas! I’m glad to be on his team.”
Nowitzki said he’s never seen his buddy play any better.
“He made some unbelievable plays, not only today to win the game, but in every game they won,” said Nowitzki, who had 28 points, 13 rebounds and six assists. “I think he really wanted to show all of Dallas what we missed and he really did that.”
Dallas got 36 points from Nash’s replacement, Jason Terry, including a tough 3-pointer with 3 seconds left that kept the drama going until the final buzzer.
Yet Mavs fans will remember Nash dribbling away from Terry to get open for the shot that tied the game at 111 at the end of the fourth quarter, then Terry being berated by Nowitzki after the buzzer for his lousy defense.
“We had the game won and then let Steve dribble up and hit a three,” Nowitzki said.
Had Terry fouled Nash before he got to the 3-point line, Nash would have gotten just two free throws. Terry also tried calling timeout after Nash’s basket, but officials didn’t see it and Jerry Stackhouse dribbled to the other end and missed a 3 at the buzzer.
“They were just stupid mistakes that shouldn’t have happened,” Nowitzki added.
In overtime, Terry gave Dallas its final lead with a 3-pointer that made it 114-113. Nash answered immediately with a 3 and the Suns made their lead stand, despite several challenges, including a 3-point try by Nowitzki with about 11 seconds left that would have tied it at 126.
“We probably could have gotten a better look in that situation, but we stand behind him,” Mavs coach Avery Johnson said. “It looked good when he shot it.”
Phoenix’s reward for becoming the first team to win consecutive games this series is opening the next round Sunday at home against the San Antonio Spurs. The Suns could even have back starting guard Joe Johnson, who has been out since Game 2 of this round with an eye injury.
The Spurs will offer an interesting defensive challenge for the NBA’s highest-scoring team of the last decade.
The Suns are trying to become the first offense-driven team to win the title since the Showtime-era Los Angeles Lakers. They’ve already become the first team to go from missing the playoffs one year and making the conference finals the next since Boston and New Jersey in 2002. The last West team to do it was Phoenix in 1989.
“This is fun for us to reach new heights,” Nash said. “We’ve done some special things. As far as the playoffs go, you don’t get many opportunities at this. This was a big series, but it was only the second round.”
Phoenix’s Amare Stoudemire had a poor game by his standards with 18 points and six rebounds. He fouled out with 1:40 left in regulation. Jim Jackson scored 16 points and Richardson added 11 points and 13 rebounds.
Josh Howard provided Dallas with tremendous energy early and finished with 21 points and 14 rebounds. Stackhouse scored 19 points and much-maligned Erick Dampier rebounded from a basket-less Game 5 to have 13 points and six rebounds.
Notes:@ The Suns last made the conference finals in 1993. … Dallas was 3-4 at home in the playoffs. … The crowd of 20,915 set the franchise record for the fifth time in seven home games this postseason. … Game 5 winners of a tied series have advanced 106 of 126 times.