Mavs up 2-1; Suns down 0-3
DALLAS (AP) — Luka Doncic had 22 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists, and suddenly defensive-minded Dallas took a chippy victory over the Los Angeles Clippers for a 2-1 lead in the first-round series.
The Mavs rode the same defense that gave them home-court advantage with a Game 2 victory in LA, and won in Dallas three years aer losing all three firstround games on their floor in a seven-game s loss to the Clippers. Game 4 is Sunday in Dallas.
Rookie Dereck Lively II scored all 13 of his points in the first half and Daniel Gafford, his tag-team partner as a dunker and rim protector, had an emphatic block of a dunk attempt by Paul George early in the fourth quarter while Dallas was taking control for good in a game with five technical fouls, a flagrant foul and two ejections.
James Harden scored 21 points for the Clippers, but just seven aer halime, while fellow stars George and Kawhi Leonard had little impact. Normal Powell also had 21.
EDWARDS SHINES
In Phoenix, Anthony Edwards scored 36 points, Rudy Gobert added 19 points and 14 rebounds and Minnesota used a hot-shooting third quarter to beat Phoenix and take a 3-0 lead in the firstround series.
Minnesota goes for the sweep in Game 4 on Sunday in Phoenix.
It was the third straight game the Wolves used a big third to turn a tight game into a comfortable victory. Minnesota hit 7 of 11 3-pointers during the surge, including four from Nickeil Alexander-walker, to take a 22-point lead into the fourth.
Bradley Beal led the Suns with 28 points while Kevin Durant had 25 and Devin Booker 23.*