Mav's coach, Avery Johnson, admitted prior to the game that his team could not keep pace with the Suns running game, and had called for 'patience on offence and hustle on defense.'

The tactic worked well for the fourth-seeded Mavs, managing to effectively stifle the Suns' run-and-gun style of play, limiting them to just four fast-break points after they finished second in the same category during the regular season.

It was also the first time in the post-season Phoenix has failed to score more then 90 points for the game.

2006 league MVP Steve Nash still managed to finish the game with 21 points and seven assists, but the Mavs outstanding defensive pressure restricted the point guard's influence on the game.

The game plan allowed Dirk Nowitzki to star for the Mavs, as the hard-to-match up-on seven foot German forward dominated the game with 17 rebounds and a game-high 28 points.

Game four will be played in Phoenix on Tuesday.