By R.L. Bynum
After having a tough time getting past the New Orleans Pelicans in the first round, the Phoenix Suns played like the team with the best regular-season record on Monday, with Cameron Johnson playing a big part.
Johnson scored a playoff career-high 17 points in 24 minutes off the bench in his best playoff game of the season as the Suns earned a 121–114 home victory over the Dallas Mavericks in Game 1 of their Western Conference semifinal series.
While Johnson played well, the Mavs’ Reggie Bullock got two early fouls and fouled out late in the game with seven points and six rebounds in 33 minutes. Johnson put up his best game score of the playoffs at 11.8 — and tied for his second-best of his playoff career — but Bullock’s 2.3 was his lowest this postseason.
The only playoff game score better than that for Johnson, who scored 10 points in the second half, was a 12.3 last season in Game 6 of the first-round series against the Los Angeles Lakers, when he had 10 points, four rebounds and two assists.
Johnson, who pulled down five rebounds, tied his playoff career-high with three 3-pointers and is 5 of 9 from 3-point range in the last two games. He also had three 3-pointers in Game 4 of the Pelicans series and in Game 5 of last season’s Western Conference finals against the Los Angeles Clippers.
Just like in the Mavericks’ first-round series against the Utah Jazz, Theo Pinson was on the Mavericks bench but not in uniform and wasn’t active for the game.
Without Joel Embiid (orbital fracture, concussion and torn ligament in his right thumb) in the Philadelphia lineup, the Sixers lost Game 1 of their Eastern Conference semifinals series in Miami to the Heat on Monday night 106–92.
Danny Green finished with five points, four rebounds and an assist in 26 minutes for the Sixers, his lowest output since scoring two points in Game 1 against Toronto.
Reggie Bullock, Dallas Mavericks guard/forward
121–114 Game 1 loss at Phoenix — Started; 33 minutes, 7 points, 2–7 FG, 2–7 3FG, 1–1 FT, 6 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 turnover, 6 fouls, -11, 2.3 game score
Playoff statistics — 7 games, 10.1 points, 42.6 FG%, 38.8 3P%, 4–4 FT, 6.0 rebounds, 1.9 assists
Regular-season statistics — 68 games, 8.6 points, 40.1 FG%, 36.0 3P%, 83.3 FT%, 3.5 rebounds, 1.2 assists
Mavericks-Suns Western Conference semifinals
Monday: Phoenix 121, Dallas 114; Suns lead series 1–0
Wednesday at Phoenix, 10 p.m., TNT
Friday at Dallas, 9:30 p.m., ESPN
Sunday at Dallas, 3:30 p.m., ESPN
X — Tuesday, May 10 at Phoenix, TBD, TBD
X — Thursday, May 12 at Dallas, TBD, TBD
X — Sunday, May 15 at Phoenix, TBD, TBD
X — If needed
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Danny Green, Philadelphia 76ers forward
106–98 Game 1 loss at Miami — Started; 26 minutes, 5 points, 2–6 FG, 1–5 3FG, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, -2, 3.1 game score
Playoff statistics — 7 games, 8.4 points, 35.6 FG%, 34.7 3FG%, 3.9 rebounds, 1.1 assists
Regular-season statistics — 62 games, 5.9 points, 39.4 FG%, 38.0 3FG%, 20–24 FT, 2.5 rebounds, 1.0 assists
Heat-Sixers Eastern Conference semifinals
Monday: Miami 106, Philadelphia 98; Heat lead series 1–0
Wednesday in Miami, 7:30 p.m., TNT
Friday in Philadelphia, 7 p.m., ESPN
Sunday in Philadelphia, 8 p.m., TNTD
X — Tuesday, May 10, in Miami, TBD, TBD
X — Thursday, May 12, in Philadelphia, TBD, TBD
X — Sunday, May 15, in Miami, TBD, TBD
X — If needed
———————————————
Cameron Johnson, Phoenix Suns wing
121–114 Game 1 win vs. Dallas — 24 minutes, 17 points, 6–10 FG, 3–6 3FG, 2–2 FT, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 turnovers, 3 fouls, +8, 11.8 game score
Playoff statistics — 7 games, 11.9 points, 48.3 FG%, 38.2 3FG%, 70.6 FT%, 3.9 rebounds, 1.4 assists
Regular-season statistics — 66 games, 12.5 points, 46.0 FG%, 42.5 3FG%, 86.0 FT%, 4.1 rebounds, 1.5 assists
Mavericks-Suns Western Conference semifinals
Monday: Phoenix 121, Dallas 114; Suns lead series 1–0
Wednesday at Phoenix, 10 p.m., TNT
Friday at Dallas, 9:30 p.m., ESPN
Sunday at Dallas, 3:30 p.m., ESPN
X — Tuesday, May 10 at Phoenix, TBD, TBD
X — Thursday, May 12 at Dallas, TBD, TBD
X — Sunday, May 15 at Phoenix, TBD, TBD
X — If needed
———————————————
Theo Pinson, Dallas Mavericks guard
121–114 Game 1 loss at Phoenix — Not active for game
Playoff statistics — Hasn’t played
Regular-season NBA season statistics — 19 games, 2.5 points, 35.9 FG%, 33.3 3FG%, 10–10 FT, 1.1 rebounds, 0.9 assists
G League season statistics — 14 games, 15.7 points, 40.4 FG%, 38.6 3FG%, 84.8 FT%, 4.6 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 1.2 steals
Mavericks-Suns Western Conference semifinals
Monday: Phoenix 121, Dallas 114; Suns lead series 1–0
Wednesday at Phoenix, 10 p.m., TNT
Friday at Dallas, 9:30 p.m., ESPN
Sunday at Dallas, 3:30 p.m., ESPN
X — Tuesday, May 10 at Phoenix, TBD, TBD
X — Thursday, May 12 at Dallas, TBD, TBD
X — Sunday, May 15 at Phoenix, TBD, TBD
X — If needed
———————————————
Photo via @Suns
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