Wow, how the tables have turned, Danny. We may be on our way for quite the classic second round

with both road teams leveling up today at 2-2. We'll talk later on about which of these teams we think is in more trouble, which are the number one seeds.

That is, we also, of course, have to talk about the usual playoff bullshitting with the referees. We'll get to that.

But which of these games do you want to discuss first, Mr. Leroy?

I think we start with the morning game, or at least early afternoon, I guess the way to put it.

Dallas dispatching the Phoenix Suns, 111-101, and a question that we will be grappling with over the course of this episode.

I mean, as you mentioned, both the series started out 2-0 and different contacts in the two series.

And then now, or 2-2, guaranteed at least a game six of both Dallas and Philly get one more home game at bare minimum.

And what I wondered after game three for Dallas was how much of what they did well was sustainable.

We had Chris Paul, had a weird bad game in game three. The Mavericks hit a billion threes and defended better than they have in the entire series.

And I don't think it was quite the same story as game three, but the parallels were striking and meant that, you know, this has come up in a couple of different contacts over the last couple years.

But it's like, game four reminded me that game three wasn't as anomalous as I thought it might have been at the time.

Yeah, these game fours are when you find out whether you're going to have a series or not in most of these, and in both of these, we do.

So what were some of the big themes that continued from game three then to you?

Phoenix trying to kind of put together an offensive identity. I think that's, you know, like it's been weird to see them so out of sorts, considering how well the Suns had played.

Not only at most times, not all times, but most times during their first run series, but of course over the course of the year and getting good shots, getting to getting to their spots.

And that wasn't as much, you know, that wasn't as much the hallmark here. They did Phoenix did get 25 shots in the restricted area and did get to the line 18 times, which is a reasonable amount, not a ridiculous amount.

But five of 18 on midrangers, and if you want to combine it 11 of 34 on twos outside the restricted area.

Yeah, and they were 10 of 31 on some shots such such last game. And since we saw that they're shooting over 60% on twos outside the paint, they've gone 5 or 12 and 5 of 18 the last two games on those.

So that's interesting. Now in terms of the quality of those shots, I mean, it has been different, right? A number one, they haven't been able to just target Luca nearly as easily.

Particularly I thought today, even more so than last game, where I thought he still kind of ran out of gas late, but with no Chris Paul to go against him that made it a little bit easier to hide him.

To be sure, we'll talk about that. However, I thought that they've just made Phoenix feel them. A lot more.

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