Phoenix Suns lookback: Steve Nash and the 2005 playoff run
By Tyler Knight
The Second Round vs. the Dallas Mavericks
The second round of the playoffs would be emotional and important for Nash, as Phoenix would play the Dallas Mavericks. Prior to this season, Dallas let Steve Nash walk in free agency despite Nash wanting to finish his career in Dallas.
The Suns did not let their leader down in game one, Phoenix won by 25 points, Nash had 11 points, 13 assists, and six rebounds in a giant statement win over his former team.
Game two was disappointing for the Suns. Despite Nash having 23 points and 13 assists, Phoenix lost by two points on a game-winner by his former teammate and good friend Dirk Nowitzki. The Mavericks had tied the series 1-1, and during game two, the Suns lost Joe Johnson to an orbital bone fracture. it wasn’t looking good for Phoenix.
Nash and the Suns turned it up in game 3, and this game was what sparked the best basketball Nash would play for his career. Nash scored 27 points, had a jaw-dropping 17 assists and the team won by 17 points to go up 2-1 in the series despite missing one of their most important players.
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Game 4 put a halt to the Suns momentum. Dallas won by 10 points, but Nash had the scoring game of his life. The Mavericks did a good job at making Nash a scorer instead of a facilitator, as Nash only had five assists to his eight turnovers, but M-V-Steve had a career-high 48 points on an amazing 20/28 shooting. Steve played well in the first half, but he really exploded in the second, having 35 points, two assists, two steals, and two rebounds on only four missed shots after halftime.
While Dallas was able to stop the playmaking of Nash for one game, it wouldn’t happen again. Steve Nash would have a dominant triple-double in game-five, scoring 34 points, snagging 13 rebounds, and dishing out 13 assists in a six-point win to go up 3-2 and continue his run of great basketball.
Phoenix was now up 3-2 and had all the momentum despite playing game-six in Dallas. Nash continued to be on fire, punching in a near triple-double of 39 points, nine rebounds, and 12 assists, along with an incredible pull up 3 to send the game to overtime. The Suns wouldn’t by three points to end the series. Nash played as well as any player could in that battle against Dallas, Steve finished with 30.3/6.5/12 averages against Dallas.