AP - Dallas coach Avery Johnson is getting credit for a defensive strategy which allowed NBA Most Valuable Player Steve Nash to score 48 points. Mike D'Antoni doesn't think that strategy will work again for the Dallas Mavericks.

The top-seeded Phoenix Suns host the Mavericks in Game Five on Wednesday night.

Johnson decided he was going to collapse his defense around Suns center Amare Stoudemire and cut off Nash's passing lanes in Game Four. Nash took advantage with nine layups as well as four other baskets from less than five feet. But Stoudemire was held to eight shots and finished with 15 points as the Mavericks evened the series with a 119-109 victory on Sunday.

"I saw where they said they had us figured out, but 109 points isn't figuring it out yet," said D'Antoni, the NBA Coach of the Year. "I look at the 109 points and 51 percent shooting and I don't know how we make adjustments. Steve will continue to take what they give him."

Nash, who made 20-of-28 shots, agrees with his coach.

"We scored enough points to win Game Four," Nash said. "We lost because we didn't hustle, rebound or play defense in the first half."

The Suns also lost because they had problems with forward Josh Howard, who led the Mavs with 29 points. Dirk Nowitzki scored 25 and Jerry Stackhouse added 22.

Erick Dampier also made a major contribution in the middle with 13 points and 11 rebounds while helping to defend Stoudemire, who had averaged 35.7 points and 15.3 rebounds in the first three games of the series.

The Suns will likely not have versatile Joe Johnson for a third straight game. Johnson fractured his left eye socket in a fall in Game Two.

"The chance of that happening (playing) I think are real slim right now," said Johnson, who still is sporting considerable swelling on the left side of his face.

That is not good news for the Suns, who rely on Johnson for his perimeter shooting, dribble penetration, defense and as a backup to Nash.

The series will shift back to Dallas for Game Six on Friday.

In the other Western Conference semifinal series, the second-seeded San Antonio Spurs took a 3-2 lead over the third-seeded Seattle SuperSonics with a 103-90 victory on Tuesday.

Manu Ginobili scored a playoff career-high 39 points for San Antonio.

Seattle hosts Game Six on Thursday.

The second-seeded Detroit Pistons took a 3-2 lead in their Eastern Conference semifinal series with an 86-67 home victory over the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday.

Ben Wallace had 19 points and 11 rebounds and Tayshaun Prince added 16 and 12 for the Pistons, who again leaned on their championship formula of teamwork and defense. All five starters scored in double figures.

Indiana hosts Game Six on Thursday. The series winner faces the top-seeded Miami Heat, who swept Washington.

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Only 7 remain! NBA Round 2 of the 2005 Playoffs is drawing to a close. Miami swept Washington but the other 3 series are still up in the air.

Second Round matchup results to date are as follows:

Western Conference
(1) Phoenix vs Dallas (4)
Series tied 2-2
(2) San Antonio vs. Seattle (3)
Spurs lead series 3-2

Eastern Conference
(1) Miami vs Washington (5)
Heat win series 4-0
(2) Detroit vs Indiana (6)
Pistons lead series 3-2

Lots of action left as we march towards Round 3!

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