Dallas ? Here’s a tip for anyone who figured the Dallas Mavericks and Phoenix Suns were going to chase each other up and down the court throughout the Western Conference finals.

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

Game 2 on Friday night was a lot more like it.

Dirk Nowitzki had 30 points, 14 rebounds and six assists, and Josh Howard scored 29 points, but the main reason the Mavericks beat the Suns 105-98 was their defense – yes, defense.

Dallas limited Phoenix to a season-low 17 points in the first quarter, then made stops on six of seven possessions during a 12-2 run early in the fourth quarter that put the Mavs ahead for good.

“I thought 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 some Mavericks in most of the plays tonight, which I thought was a key for us.”

The Suns missed 13 of their last 18 shots until Steve Nash scored a meaningless basket in the closing seconds. It was his only points and his only attempt of the second half, which perhaps best sums up the way Dallas turned things around after allowing 121 points in the opener.

Johnson blistered his team Thursday, primarily for allowing 32 fast-break points. Phoenix had only 21 this time, and plummeted 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 spurt.

Nash had 16 points and 11 assists. He got only three assists in the second half once Dallas honed in on 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 two players and throwing it to the open man.”

The Suns head home for Game 3 on Sunday night with the familiar feeling of being 1-1.