PHOENIX — He manipulates everything, from the clock to the opponent’s defensive coverages to the officials with some well-timed chicanery.
It’s fair to say the Dallas Mavericks fell apart in the final 12 minutes of a winnable Game 2 that would’ve given a young team so much momentum before heading home for a couple games.
But it’s more apt to say Chris Paul tore them apart every which way with yet another sterling fourth-quarter performance, his last as a 36-year-old.
A six-point lead turned to 10, then 15, then infinity as Paul used all his stones to power the Suns to a 2-0 Western Conference semifinal lead with a 129-109 win at Footprint Center.