PHOENIX — For the first time in the NBA playoffs, the Phoenix Suns played like the #1 team that set a new franchise record on Monday.
The Dallas Mavericks looked outclassed in Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals during an emphatic 121-114 win for the Suns.
Devin Booker looked healthy after missing much of the last series and outdueled Luka Doncic while powering a balanced Suns offense.
Six Suns players scored in double digits - including all starters. Deandre Ayton led Phoenix with 25 points while Booker added 23.
Doncic and Maxi Kleber were the only bright spots for Dallas. Doncic led all players with 45 points.
Phoenix held a comfortable lead for much of the night. And the lead ballooned to 17 entering the fourth quarter.
Dallas made a strong run towards the end, but the Suns outlasted the Mavs as fans chanted "Suns in four" - a callback to the team's run to the NBA Finals last year.
Perhaps most importantly, Phoenix outrebounded Dallas 51-36.
It was a far departure from the same squad that looked rattled against the New Orleans Pelicans and needed late-game heroics for nearly every victory.
This is the first time the Mavericks have advanced passed the first round of the NBA playoffs since winning the franchise’s first NBA Championship in 2011.
What’s next?
Phoenix will host Game 2 at the Footprint Center on Wednesday. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.
The winner of this series will face either the Golden State Warriors or Memphis Grizzlies in the Western Conference Finals.
Golden State leads that series 1-0.
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Arizona sports
The city of Phoenix is home to five major professional sports league teams; The NFL's Arizona Cardinals, NBA's Phoenix Suns, WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury, MLB's Arizona Diamondbacks and NHL's Arizona Coyotes.
The Cardinals have made the State Farm Stadium in Glendale their home turf and the Footprint Center in downtown Phoenix is home to both the Suns and the Mercury. The Indoor Football League’s Arizona Rattlers also play at the Footprint. Phoenix has a soccer team with the USL's Phoenix Rising FC.
The Valley hosts multiple major sporting events on a yearly basis, including college football's Fiesta Bowl and Cactus Bowl; the PGA Tour’s highest-attended event, the Waste Management Phoenix Open; NASCAR events each spring and fall; and Cactus League Spring Training.