LOS ANGELES (AFP) – Luka Doncic scored 35 points as the Dallas Mavericks completed a stunning upset of the top-seeded Phoenix Suns with a jaw-dropping game seven rout in Arizona on Sunday.
Slovenian star Doncic was in magnificent form as the Mavericks romped to a 123-90 victory at Phoenix’s Footprint Center to clinch the best-of-seven Western Conference semi-final series 4-3.
The Suns entered the playoffs as the best team in basketball, with a regular season record of 64 wins and only 18 defeats.
But a playoff campaign which seemed poised to see a repeat of last season’s advance to the NBA Finals instead ended in disarray and catcalls from their own fans.
Doncic finished with 35 points, 10 rebounds and four assists, while Spencer Dinwiddie gave valuable scoring support with 30 points, including five three-pointers.
Jalen Brunson also posted double figures with 24 points as Dallas advanced to a Western Conference finals showdown with the Golden State Warriors starting Wednesday.
“Amazing,” Doncic said after the win. “I don’t know what to say but this was amazing to win.
“Everybody played as hard as they can. We didn’t have any days off. An incredible team win. I don’t have nothing more to say,” added Doncic, who is looking forward to facing Golden State.
“They’re a championship team. It’s going to be really tough again. I’m just really happy we got this win tonight.
Phoenix, who had led 2-0 and 3-2 earlier in the series, was left reflecting on a no-show from their star names.
Suns star Devin Booker made just 11 points while Chris Paul finished with 10 points.
The Mavs effectively sealed the contest with a devastating first half display that included 27 points from Doncic.
Williams sparks Celtics
as Bucks dumped out
In Boston, Grant Williams scored 27 points as the Boston Celtics eliminated the reigning champion Milwaukee Bucks on Sunday with a 109-81 game seven victory in their NBA Eastern Conference series.
Celtics forward Williams produced a deadly display of scoring from three-point range at the TD Garden as Boston advanced to a conference finals showdown with the Miami Heat with a 4-3 series win.
Williams’s red-hot shooting from beyond the arc was emblematic of Boston’s superiority from the field as the Bucks missed a slew of wide open looks.
Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo finished with 25 points 20 rebounds and nine assists for Milwaukee.
But the Celtics’ three-point shooting accuracy proved the difference between the two teams as Boston completed a comeback from 3-2 down in the best-of-seven series.
Boston dropped 22 of 55 from downtown, in stark contrast to Milwaukee, who converted just four of 33 attempts from beyond the arc.
Williams led the three-point blitzkrieg with seven threes in his 27-point haul. Jayson Tatum made five-of-nine threes to finish with 23 points.
