Mavs Need Spencer Dinwiddie to Step Up in Game 6 vs. Suns

In five games against the Suns, specifically, that overall shooting percentage has dropped to 28.9 percent, although his 3-point percentage has risen to 35.3 percent. His minutes have consistently decreased with each passing game due to his shooting. After playing 30 minutes in Game 1, Dinwiddie didn't crack the 20-minute mark in Games 4 and 5.

Despite the poor shooting numbers from Dinwidde, the Mavs have still been able to have a competitive series with the league-best Suns, as they trail 3-2 and face elimination in Game 6 on Thursday night. Although it might be a lost cause to think Dinwiddie will magically morph back into his end-of-the-regular-season form again after 11 playoff games, now would be as good of a time as ever for him to become a hero... for at least one game.

Including the regular season and playoffs, Dinwiddie has scored 18+ points 11 times. His best postseason performance so far game in the close-out Game 6 against the Utah Jazz on the road, as he put up 19 points off the bench and shot 7-12 from the field, including 4-7 from deep. In what ended up being a two-point win for Dallas, Dinwiddie was a +12 in his 31 minutes of action.

Dinwiddie has shown throughout the year that he has the ability to step up in the biggest moments when he's needed the most – when he has no other choice but to do so. Perhaps that will be the case for him in Game 6 against the Suns, as Dinwiddie, along with Luka Doncic, Jalen Brunson and the rest of the crew look to shake off an embarrassing Game 5 performance in order to force a winner-take-all Game 7 in Phoenix on Sunday.