The Dallas Mavericks beat the Phoenix Suns 111-101 in Game 4 of the NBA Western Conference semifinals at American Airlines Center in Dallas on Sunday to tie the series 2-2.

Chris Paul, a 37-year-old point guard and 12-time All-Star, fouled out after playing only 23 minutes to get only five points, five rebounds and seven assists for the Suns in Sunday's game. That was a huge blow to the team both on the court and in morale. Without Paul, the Suns had no reliable orchestrator who could consistently feed their big men. As a result, Deandre Ayton, JaVale McGee and Bismack Biyombo combined for only 23 points.

Paul's absence also allowed the Mavericks focus their defensive efforts on containing Devin Booker. Having played over 43 minutes in Game 4, Booker scored 35 points, four rebounds and seven assists. But as the game went on, his shots began to fall short. He missed all four field goals (FGs) within the 3-point line in the fourth quarter.

The Mavericks did two things right to secure the home win on Sunday. First, the team drained 20 triples at 45.5 percent. Dorian Finney-Smith hit 8-of-12 from downtown. The Suns managed to cut their deficit to six points (89-83) at 7:35 in the fourth quarter, but the Mavericks made four 3-pointers within the next four minutes to extend their lead to 12 points.

The other was the growth of Luka Doncic. It was not his best-performing game on paper. On one hand, the firepower provided by Finney-Smith and Jalen Brunson meant Doncic didn't have to do everything on the offensive front; meanwhile, Doncic had a very cold touch, especially from outside, as he missed nine of his 10 shots beyond the arc.

Nonetheless, he still made integral contributions to the Mavericks' win on Sunday. First, he was still unstoppable in isolation possessions around the paint; second, his court vision and passing skills earned him 11 assists, half of the team's total. Moreover, Doncic was involved in three of the six personal fouls that were called against Paul.

When facing Paul, you are in a contest that is about more than skills. Despite his 1.83-meter height, Paul is very strong, especially in his lower body. He also possesses a bag of tricks that can not only interrupt the normal plays of his defensive targets, but also disrupt their mental focus.

Doncic has already proved he has the most complete offensive skills as a player, but he has also been acting like a simple-minded child with a short temper for a long time. What he did on Sunday meant he is learning from Paul to grow into a smarter and more mature floor general. Such growth will make a key part of Doncic's career whether he and the Mavericks win this series or not.

Paul was called his third foul at 1:52 in the second quarter and coach Monty Williams put him on the bench for safety. However, Paul was sent to the court again at 0:45 and he soon committed his fourth foul. Perhaps Williams wanted Paul on the floor for the sake of offense, but the return was not worth the risk, and the coach should have seen it.

As for Paul, his fifth and sixth were both habitual moves. He intentionally moved into the route of Brunson in the backcourt at 9:32 in the third quarter and was called an offensive foul. Then at 8:58 in the fourth quarter, Paul fouled Brunson under the hoop. Though it was a quick move, the replay showed he pulled Brunson's arm.

Referees are unlikely to call these moves as fouls every time, but judging by the development of Sunday's game, Paul should have known better to watch out for and protect himself. He's too valuable to sit on the bench while the Suns were trailing in double digits.

Last season, Paul became the first player in NBA history to blow four 2-0 series leads in the playoffs. With the series now tied 2-2, will this be his fifth?

Game 5 will happen at Footprint Center in Phoenix on May 10.