Phoenix Suns vs. Dallas Mavericks Game 7: Three things to watch

The Phoenix Suns are on a quest to take one more step from their run to the NBA Finals last season, and they have been the best team in the league all season — but they are now one game away from their season fading below the horizon.

Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks have arrived… to the second round. The Mavericks have taken a step forward under Jason Kidd, but they are one game away from making the true “we have arrived” leap into the Western Conference Finals.

Mavericks vs. Suns, Game 7 is Sunday night (8 p.m. on TNT). The winner advances to face Stephen Curry and the Warriors; the loser has questions to answer about what is next. In a series where the home team has dominated, here are three things to watch for that very well may determine this game.

Nobody doubts peak Luka Doncic will show up — last time he was in a Game 7, a year ago against the Clippers, he had 46 and 14 (and lost).

However, Paul has been up and down this series, hounded by Reggie Bullock into pedestrian games. In Game 6 he was passive at times and never got going, finishing with 13 points, four assists and five turnovers. He had five points in Game 4 (when he battled foul trouble), and there were the seven turnovers in Game 3.

In Game 6, the Mavericks switched things up and put Dorian Finney-Smith on CP3, treating the 37-year-old like he didn’t want to shoot (and Finney-Smith has the length to at least trouble Paul). It worked. If the Mavs do it again, Paul has to make them pay with points.

Paul has been a clutch performer overall in his career, and the smart money is on him playing his best game of the series with the chips pushed into the middle of the table. But it’s not a sure thing. The Suns need the Chris Paul that is the glue of the