The stage was set for a Game 7 classic as the Phoenix Suns looked to book their second straight trip to the Western Conference Finals...until.
Luka Doncic happened.
Doncic seized the moment, scoring 27 points in the first half, finishing with 35 points, 10 rebounds, four assists and two steals on 12-of-19 shooting from the field and 6-of-11 from the 3-point line as the Mavericks cruised to a 123-90 win at Footprint Center.
A second look at Luka's sick crossover!
— NBA (@NBA) May 16, 2022
WIN or GO HOME Game 7 on TNT pic.twitter.com/rAuNJ61vUf
MORE: Dallas dominates Phoenix wire-to-wire in Game 7 to advance to Conference Finals
Spencer Dinwiddie added 30 points off the bench, while Jalen Brunson finished with 24 points, six rebounds and two assists in the win.
The 33-point margin of victory was the Suns' biggest loss of the season and helped the Mavericks come close to breaking their own record for the biggest margin of victory in a Game 7 (40 points).
Largest margins of victory in a Game 7
In 2005, the Mavericks beat the Houston Rockets in the first round 116-76.
The Mavericks looked on track to beat the Denver Nuggets' record for the largest margin of victory in a playoff game, leading by as many as 46 points, before the Suns outscored them 40-31 in the fourth quarter to trim the deficit.
The Nuggets' record margin of victory in a playoff game came against the New Orleans Hornets with a 58-point win in 2009.
Year | Team | Opponent | Final | Margin |
2005 | Dallas Mavericks | Houston Rockets | 116-76 | 40 |
1970 | Los Angeles Lakers | Phoenix Suns | 129-94 | 35 |
2008 | Boston Celtics | Atlanta Hawks | 99-65 | 34 |
2022 | Dallas Mavericks | Phoenix Suns | 129-90 | 33 |
2016 | Miami Heat | Charlotte Hornets | 106-73 | 33 |
2006 | Phoenix Suns | Los Angeles Lakers | 121-90 | 31 |
1992 | Chicago Bulls | New York Knicks | 110-81 | 29 |
2022 | Boston Celtics | Milwaukee Bucks | 109-81 | 28 |
2016 | Toronto Raptors | Miami Heat | 116-89 | 27 |
2005 | Indiana Pacers | Boston Celtics | 97-70 | 27 |
Earlier Sunday, the Boston Celtics recorded the eighth-largest margin of victory in a Game 7, as they booked their spot in the Eastern Conference Finals with a 28-point win over the Milwaukee Bucks, 109-81.