Bell's Return Energizes Phoenix

Suns 106, Mavericks 86

PHOENIX Reprinted from yesterday's late editions

-- The Western Conference finals have been filled with surprises throughout the first three games. What? The Dallas Mavericks can play defense? Huh? The Phoenix Suns can't run?

The most startling development in Game 4 on Tuesday was debatable: Was it the early return of Suns guard Raja Bell, who had missed the previous two games with a partially torn calf? Or the disappearance of Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki, who had been the best player the first three games?

Either way, with Bell back to provide a much-needed confidence boost for his depleted, seemingly winded team and Nowitzki unable to connect with his usually trusty jumper, the Suns were able to even this best-of-seven series with a 106-86 victory at US Airways Center.

"It's up for grabs, really," Nowitzki said after scoring a season-low 11 points on 3-of-13 shooting. "It's going to be a tough series, and we knew it was going to be a long one from the start. Nothing is going to be given to us. We gotta go out there and take it."

Playing their 100th game of an arduous season in which they have overcome numerous obstacles, including the losses of Amare Stoudemire and Kurt Thomas, the Suns again summoned the strength to stay alive. They won their first conference final home game since 1993 as Leandro Barbosa came off the bench to lead four Suns in double figures with 24 points. And, in a move made partly out of desperation and partly out of necessity, Bell came back a game earlier than expected to score nine points, take two charges and energize his teammates.

"Nature has a way of healing warriors a lot quicker. Whatever we needed all year, he'd done it -- spiritually, physically, talent-wise, whatever," Suns Coach Mike D'Antoni said. "He kept saying the whole time he was going to play. I did get a call last night or heard from his agent [Herb Rudoy] that, if we don't want him to play we might have to shoot him. So it was like, do we kill the guy or let him play?"

The Suns wanted to avoid going down 3-1 for the second time in this postseason. The Suns were able to come back to defeat the Los Angeles Lakers, whose flaws grew more apparent with each game. But they didn't want to have the same deficit against the deeper, more experienced Mavericks -- even though the Mavericks were pushed to seven games against the defending champion San Antonio Spurs after leading that series 3-1.

"We're a confident bunch, and we always feel like we have a chance, but we understand winning another series [after] being down 1-3 was -- the odds of that are slim to none," Bell said. "I felt this was my shot."

Bell, who became a household name during this postseason for clothes-lining the Lakers' Kobe Bryant in the first round, received a loud ovation when he was introduced before the game and quickly let it be known that he wasn't making a ceremonial appearance. Just 62 seconds into the game, Bell hit his first shot, a foul-line jumper to kick-start a 10-0 run that gave the Suns a 12-4 lead in the first four minutes. "Obviously, it was a huge lift for us," said Suns point guard Steve Nash, the two-time league most valuable player. The Suns were 1-5 without Bell this season.

Nash had the same stat line as he did in Game 3 -- 21 points and seven assists -- but they were a much different team than the one that scored 98 and 88 points, respectively in Games 2 and 3. They dove for loose balls instead of watching them roll to the Mavericks and played swarming defense that led to 14turnovers. They took fewer three-pointers than they had in the previous two games but managed to connect on a higher percentage (7 of 15).

Nash, who hadcriticized his teammates after Game 3 for walking around with their shoulders slumped and failing to push the tempo, was understandably pleased. "I don't think it was any magic formulas for us tonight," he said. "I think we just played harder."

The Suns had an 11-point first-half lead reduced to 67-65 when Mavericks guard Jason Terry nailed a three-pointer with 3 minutes 49 seconds left in the third quarter, but the Suns responded with a 20-4 run over the next 5:32 to take an 87-69 lead when Boris Diaw (20 points) dunked over Mavericks reserve Jerry Stackhouse. With the Suns ahead by 23 in the fourth quarter, D'Antoni brought in Thomas, who made his first appearance since Feb. 22 after sitting out with a stress fracture in his right foot. Suns fans began heading toward the exits with 2:53 left knowing there will be a Game 6 here on Saturday.

Phoenix handed the Mavericks their worst loss of the postseason and sixth-worst playoff defeat ever. "We just didn't have it," Dallas Coach Avery Johnson said. "We were not there mentally or physically."

Nowitzki had scored at least 20 points in the Mavericks' first 14 postseason games. He had been effective driving toward the basket and getting to the foul line, but he simply camped out on the perimeter and continued to misfire on Tuesday.

"Well, we just decided before the game we were going to shut him out," Nash said jokingly.