BRISTOL, Connecticut (Ticker) To no one’s surprise, the Phoenix Suns and Dallas Mavericks started the Western Conference finals at a breakneck pace. But both teams may be limping to the finish.
In a series opener that saw three key players suffer injuries, the Suns stunned the host Mavericks, 121-118, on Boris Diaw’s turnaround jumper with a half-second to play Wednesday night.
Diaw’s shot completed a comeback from a nine-point deficit in the final three-plus minutes for the second-seeded Suns, who saw starters Raja Bell and Shawn Marion suffer leg injuries in the fourth quarter.
Earlier, the fourth-seeded Mavericks lost starting forward Josh Howard to a sprained right ankle midway through the first quarter.
The injuries didn’t stop either team from running. Defense was virtually non-existent as they combined for 146 points in the paint and 44 fast-break points 32 by the Suns.
“There’s a tempo that we’re comfortable with,” Dallas coach Avery Johnson said. “If you told me (we’d) score 118 points and shoot 50 percent from the field, I think we’d have a really food chance to win. But our defense wan’t very good.”
“We’re throwing the ball all over the place,” Suns coach Mike D’Antoni said. “You guys (media) better duck sometimes because it’s coming.”
In fact, Suns assistant Marc Iavaroni was hit in the face with a batted ball in the third quarter. He was OK, but Bell and Marion may not be.
Midway through the fourth quarter, Bell went up for a jumper and began hobbling after landing. He went down to the floor for a couple of possessions and was carried off the court by teammates. The initial diagnosis was a strained left calf.
“I thought someone threw something from the stands,” Bell said. “But then it started to burn and right now it’s pretty sore.”
“He strained something,” D’Antoni said. “We hope it’s a strain. It could be worse, could be better. We’ll see (Thursday) with the swelling. And we’ll do everything we can to rehab him and get him back, but we don’t know.”
Seconds after Bell’s injury, Marion aggravated the sprained left ankle he suffered in the conference semifinals. He remained in the game but was taken by a cart for X-rays after the contest.
When asked if Marion would be all right, D’Antoni said, “Hope so. (He) needs to be.”
The Mavericks did not escape unscathed, either. Howard scored six points in the first six minutes but began limping after a layup. He left the court and did not return, leaving Dallas without its best two-way player.
“Obviously it’s a big void,” Johnson said. “You’re talking about a guy who’s capable of getting 20 points and 10 rebounds, especially in a game like this. His athleticism, trying to have someone else guard Marion … Marion is a tough cover because he’s really athletic.”
Howard is scheduled to have an MRI on Thursday. Game Two is Friday in Dallas.
“He’s one of our primary defenders out there,” Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki said. “So we’ll see what his status is for next game.”
There weren’t too many primary defenders in Game One. The Suns trailed, 114-105, with 3:43 to play but took the lead with a 12-2 run fueled by Steve Nash, who had 27 points and 16 assists.
The Mavericks appeared to have recovered when Devin Harris who scored a career-high 30 points made a jumper for a 118-117 lead with 4.8 seconds to play.
After a timeout, Tim Thomas inbounded to Diaw, who scored a career-high 34 points but had missed badly on the previous possession. He got deep position on Jerry Stackhouse and made a turnaround 10-footer from the right baseline, silencing the sellout crowd at the American Airlines Center.
“That wasn’t a play for me,” Diaw said. “From the start of the play, I was more of the second option. We ran a play we’ve run two or three times during the year for Steve. Dallas saw the play and I think they knew what we were going to do. I had the ball, so I had to take the shot.”
In the final second, Marquis Daniels threw away the inbounds pass and Thomas sealed it with two free throws. Dallas had four turnovers in the final 77 seconds.
The Mavericks never have been to the NBA Finals. In the conference finals for the second straight year, the Suns are gunning for their first Finals trip since 1993.
The East finals resume Thursday in Detroit, with the top-seeded Pistons hoping to bounce back from their 91-86 Game One loss to the second-seeded Miami Heat.
Dwyane Wade overcame foul trouble to score 25 points for the Heat, who seize control with a 20-5 run that bridged the third and fourth quarters.
Richard Hamilton scored 22 points and Chauncey Billups 19 for the Pistons, who shot just 38 percent (31-of-82).
