The Phoenix Suns found themselves dealing with a unique set of circumstances during Game 2 on Wednesday night, even though the scoreboard eventually reflected a 129-109 victory in their favor.
During this second chapter of the Western Conference Semifinals, the Suns found themselves down 60-58 at halftime, granting Dallas its first lead of the entire series. Deandre Ayton, Cameron Johnson, and JaVale McGee were subjected to foul purgatory having drawn three apiece. The trio also amassed six turnovers in the first half.
With Ayton, Johnson, and McGee normally playing clean and efficient ball, they and their box scores looked like funhouse reflections of their typical selves.
But after adjusting the sails on their approach, and getting back to dictating play on both ends of the floor, the Suns erased their halftime deficit.
Phoenix outscored Dallas in the final two frames by 22 points thanks to some strategic and methodical execution. They held the Mavericks to just 49 second half points, while forcing them to shoot a frigid 35.9 percent from the field, and fumble away eight turnovers.
With their victory, the Suns seize a 2-0 series lead. They now stand ready to march into the Lone Star state on Friday and Sunday, possibly looking to sweep a second round series for the second consecutive year.
But going back to Game 2, we witnessed a true tale of two halves. With such a violent flip in momentum, we learned a great deal about the Suns, both concerning their current series vs the Mavericks, and how they might fare against any future opponents down the line should they advance. With that, these three takeaways come to light.