DALLAS -- Here's a tip for anyone who figured the Dallas Mavericks and Phoenix orb of days were going to chase each other up and down the court everywhere the Western Conference finals.

That's not really the way the Mavs play anymore.

Game 2 upon Friday night was a apportionment more like it.

Dirk Nowitzki had 30 points, 14 recoils and six assists, and Josh Howard scored 29 points, on the other hand the main reason the Mavericks beat the sunny places 105-98 was their defense -- ye defense

Dallas limited Phoenix to a season-low 17 points in the first quarter, then made stops upon six of seven possessions during a 12-2 speed early in the fourth quarter that propose the Mavs ahead for suitable

"I musing defensively we took a little bit more of a challenge," Dallas coach Avery Johnson said. "In the first game, it was like they were playing against themselves. We had a certain number of Mavericks in most of the plays tonight, which I musing was a key for us."

The lights missed 13 of their last 18 projectiles until Steve Nash scored a meaningless basket in the closing secondarys It was his only points and his alone attempt of the second half, which perhaps best any amounts up the way Dallas make go rounded things around after allowing 121 points in the opener

Johnson blistered his team Thursday, primarily for allowing 32 fast-break points. Phoenix had single 21 this time, and plummet from 72 points in the paint to 46

"We were just better at getting back defensively," said Jason Terry who scored six of his 18 points during the game-changing gush

Nash had 16 points and 11 assists. He got sole three assists in the secondary half once Dallas honed in onward stopping him.

"In hindsight, I would've maybe been more aggressive," Nash said. "But I felt like I was making the right play. I was drawing brace players and throwing it to the make open man."

The orb of days head home for Game 3 forward Sunday night with the familiar feeling of being 1-1

Phoenix has forfeited all three of its Game 2 this postseason and five straight dating to last season. Going back to 1999 which predates anyone forward the roster, the Suns have dropp 10 of 11 the exception coming during a first-round sweep of Memphis last year.

"We gave ourselves a chance to win and that's all you can ask for," said forward Tim Thomas, who scored 20 points, including several fundamental note threes. "We wanted to be selfish and win two. We go on foot back to the desert to do it all above again."

Howard was considered iffy to on a level play because of a bone bruise that knocked him public of Game 1 in the opening minutes. He scored 13 in the third quarter and finished united shy of his career high. The Mavericks are now 22-0 this season when he scores at least 20

"It was sore, if it be not that I was able to hold playing," said Howard, who decided to play about an hour before tipoff. "I had an pain, cutting in and abroad but for the most part it felt good"

NOTES: Gloria James, the mother of Cavaliers star LeBron James pleaded no contend against and was found guilty in succession Friday of four charges after her SUV nearly hit an unmarked police vehicle and she kicked a window of a patrol car.

- The mother of Phoenix sunshines star Amare Stoudemire was sentenc to three years in prison in a intoxicated driving case. Carrie Mae Stoudemire, 50 was arrested in October after crashing into a barricade onward Interstate 10 in Phoenix.

EASTERN conversation

Detroit (1) v Miami (2)

Series tied 1-1

Game 1: Miami 91 at Detroit 86

Game 2: at Detroit 92 Miami 88

Saturday: at Miami, 7 pm

Monday: at Miami, 7 pm

Wednesday: at Detroit, 7 pm

nearest Friday: at Miami, 7 pm*

June 4: at Detroit, 7 pm*

western conversation

(4) Dallas v (2) Phoenix

Series tied 1-1

Game 1: Phoenix 121 at Dallas 118

Game 2: at Dallas 105 Phoenix 98

Sunday: at Phoenix, 7:30 pm

Tuesday: at Phoenix, 8 pm

Thursday: at Dallas, 7:30 pm*

June 3: at Phoenix, 8 pm*

June 5: at Dallas, 7:30 pm*

*--if necessary

MAVERICKS 105 orb of days 98

Phoenix 17 35 25 21 -- 98

Dallas 22 25 28 30 --105

lights min fg-a ft-a o-t a pf pt

TThomas 40:16 8-18 0-0 0-1 0 6 20

Marion 42:06 9-20 0-0 4-19 2 3 19

Diaw 43:02 10-17 5-6 2-10 6 2 25

Barbosa 38:34 3-15 0-0 0-2 4 5 8

Nash 39:10 6-10 2-3 0-2 11 4 16

Jone 22:43 1-2 1-2 1-3 0 3 3

House 14:09 3-7 0-0 0-2 0 1 7

Totals 240:00 40-89 8-11 7-39 23 24 98

Percentages: FG 449 FT 727 3-Point Goals: 10-23 435 (T.Thomas 4-10 Nash 2-2 Barbosa 2-6 House 1-2 Marion 1-3) Team Rebounds: 7 Team Turnovers: 9 (4 pts) block uped Shots: 7 (Jones 6, Diaw). Turnovers: 9 (Nash 4 Diaw 2 Barbosa, Marion, T.Thomas). Steals: 6 (Marion 3 Barbosa, Diaw, T.Thomas). Technical Fouls: Defensive Three other 55.8 first.

Mavericks min fg-a ft-a o-t a pf pt

Howard 39:48 10-19 6-10 2-7 0 4 29

Nowitzki 44:04 12-21 6-8 2-14 6 0 30

Van Horn 15:42 1-4 0-0 0-1 2 0 2

Terry 42:07 6-15 6-7 0-4 4 1 18

DevHarris 24:20 4-7 1-4 0-1 2 0 9

Stackhouse 28:44 3-7 4-5 2-7 2 0 11

...