It seems incredible, but within the chaos, there is still room for the predictable in the NBA.
After a sixth duel that seemed to start evenly —that's how it was until shortly before the break—, the tone of the tie ended up prevailing this morning in Dallas and the local Mavericks went over the visiting Phoenix Suns to force the game seven of the series in the Western Conference semifinals (113-86).
It doesn't matter how the teams arrive.
The dynamics, the sensations or the differences that have been established in the last meeting do not matter.
So far, every matchup in the series has fallen to the home side by an average of 11 points.
Phoenix rowed to avoid it, but it was not enough before the rough waters caused by Luka Doncic on Texan soil.
Chaos and order.
All in the same script, which seems to be written.
The Slovenian directs, threatens and punishes, and his companions respond when he plays, as in the best of orchestras.
Doncic recorded his fifth playoff game against Phoenix last night with at least 30 points, 10 rebounds and 5 assists —there were 33, 11 and 8—, equaling Dirk Nowitzki, the Texans' top legend.
The difference, of course, is that the Slovenian has needed 123 fewer games to achieve it.
His pique with Devin Booker, a shining star of the Suns two years older than him, has overwhelmed interest in a series that in itself did not need extra condiments.
Last night, the tension between the two was palpable in the atmosphere of the American Airlines Center.
It is not for less, some will think.
In the last game, played less than 48 hours ago in Arizona, Booker took advantage of a shot to the basket to look at the camera from the ground and, feigning non-existent pain, make fun of the Slovenian: "Luka's specialty".
Shortly after, when the game had already fallen on Phoenix's side and the Mavs retired to the locker room, Doncic did the same to lift the spirits of his teammates: "Everyone acts tough when they're winning."
Now, with the tie tied (3-3), the ball is in the court of Dallas, who will travel to Arizona to cut the superiority imposed by the local team in each game of the tie.
If not, Phoenix will play its second straight conference finals.
If successful, the Mavericks would complete a historic comeback and opt for the Western title for the first time since 2011, the year in which they finished as NBA champions.
Everything seems to be written, until it is no longer.
Miami, first conference finalist
In Philadelphia, Jimmy Butler is persona non grata.
After an abrupt departure from the Sixers, where only an impossible basket by Kawhi Leonard deprived them of reaching the coveted conference finals in 2019, the Texan shooting guard found shelter in Florida, where he is the leader of a collective team like few others.
Last night, his 32 points punished from the beginning a Sixers diminished by Embiid's eye injury, who has not been able to recover his best level after the blow, and a James Harden away, one more day, from what is known about him waiting.
The Cameroonian center himself confirmed it after the elimination (4-2) at a press conference: “Everyone expected James Harden from Houston, but he is no longer the same”.
Another spark for a locker room that, on occasions, has sinned by accumulating too much gasoline.
Erik Spoelstra's team, meanwhile, recalled why they were the best team in the regular season in the Eastern Conference.
The Heat, the only team in the NBA with more wins than losses in each month of competition, beat Philadelphia in all phases of the game and took the game unceremoniously (90-99).
The Sixers crowd, reputed to be one of the toughest in the championship, began to leave the Wells Fargo Center before the game was over.
They missed the last rush of their team, insufficient against the forcefulness of the Heat, who are already expecting a rival —Boston Celtics or Milwaukee Bucks— in the Eastern Conference finals.
You can follow EL PAÍS Deportes on
and
, or sign up here to receive
our weekly newsletter
.