Phoenix has taken a 1-0 lead in the Western Conference finals with a 121-118 victory over the Mavericks, with former Dallas star Steve Nash leading a late comeback at American Airlines Center.

With the Mavericks holding a handy 114-105 lead with under four minutes remaining, Nash stepped up a level and scored the next 10 points for the Suns as he single-handedly erased the deficit and put the visitors right back in the game.

Dallas maintained a narrow one-point margin (118-117) with just 4.8 seconds left on the clock as the Suns called a desperate timeout. Boris Diaw, who finished with a career-high 34 points, returned from the break and landed a 10-footer to take the lead, before Tim Thomas put the result beyond doubt with two free-throws on the buzzer.

Nash had 27 points and 16 boards in an outstanding performance against his old club, while Shawn Marion finished with 24 points and Thomas 17.

Devin Harris added a valuable 30 points for the Mavs, with Dirk Nowitzki contributing 25 points and 19 rebounds and Jerry Stackhouse chipping in with 16 points off the bench.

The Suns, who are seeded second, held the lead at the first two breaks before the Mavericks fought back and took the advantage heading into the final term.