Suns centers scorch Mavericks in Game 1

JaVale McGee battered then embarrassed Luka Doncic.

And McGee wasn’t even the Suns center who lived up to his fearsome billing.

Deandre Ayton scored 25 points to lead Phoenix to a 121-114 home win over the Mavericks in Game 1 of their second-round series Monday. But it was his backup, McGee, who left the deepest impressions – both physically and psychologically – entering Game 2 Wednesday.

First, McGee bumped Doncic hard while jostling for rebounding position. Doncic, who missed the start of the playoffs with a left calf strain, really favored his left hip afterward:

Luka Doncic is rubbing that left quad hip area after taking a shot from JaVale McGee #MFFL pic.twitter.com/XjGdmNerbM

— Kevin Gray Jr. (@KevinGraySports) May 3, 2022

Then, McGee – as Doncic attempted to cross him over in isolation – picked Doncic’s pocket and took the ball the other way himself for a dunk:

Doncic (45 points, 12 rebounds, eight assists and five turnovers) dunked a couple times afterward, positive signs for his health.

But the game’s intensity dropped considerably by then. In a victory fitting of a heavy championship favorite, the Suns never trailed and led by 21 in the fourth quarter. Ayton scored all 25 of his points in competitive portions of the game.

Devin Booker (23 points, nine rebounds eight assists) was instrumental in Phoenix building its big lead. Though not at his best (7-for-20, including 1-for-5 on 3-pointers), he looked sharper as he gains distance from his strained hamstring.

The Mavericks started Dwight Powell to match up with Ayton, but that proved futile. Dallas kept close by going small and bombing 3s in small-ball lineups with Maxi Kleber (19 points on 5-of-8 3-point shooting) at center. Especially for such a good offense,