The Dallas Mavericks will get another crack at the Phoenix Suns, against whom the Mavs lost twice already this season. Will the Mavs finally get a W at the expense of Phoenix? Or, will the Suns’ mastery of Dallas continue?
Catch this game live on Friday, January 21, at 8:30 AM, Manila time
Away: Phoenix Suns (34-9/17-4 on the road)
Projected Starting Five:
- PG: Chris Paul
- SG: Devin Booker
- SF: Mikal Bridges
- PF: Jae Crowder
- C: JaVale McGee
The Suns are coming in hot into this game against Dallas. After all, they are on a four-game win streak, not to mention that Phoenix is also 2-0 straight up this season against the Mavs. Phoenix defeated the San Antonio Spurs last Tuesday, 121-107, to finish undefeated a four-game road trip that included stops in Toronto, Indiana, and Detroit. Devin Booker just laid waste on Suns opponents during that stretch in which he averaged 32.3 points on 49.4 FG%.
Booker also scored 24 points in the Suns’ 105-98 win over Dallas on Nov. 18 and 19 more in a 112-104 victory over the same team two days later. However, the Suns will not have Deandre Ayton to anchor their attack and defense after the center hurt his ankle in the win over the Pistons last Monday. With Ayton out, the Suns will rely on their armada of backup bigs consisting of Jalen Smith, JaVale McGee, and Bismack Biyomboto to mitigate the impact of his absence. The Suns are 6-2 against the spread in their last eight games against the Mavericks.
Home: Dallas Mavericks (26-19/14-8 at home)
Projected Starting Five:
- PG: Luka Doncic
- SG: Tim Hardaway Jr.
- SF: Dorian Finney-Smith
- PF: Kristaps Porzingis
- C: Dwight Powell
One thing to know about the Mavericks’ losses to Phoenix this season is that they did not have Luka Doncic in those games. Doncic missed the last two meetings with the Suns because of left and knee sprains, thus lowering the ceiling of the Mavs’ firepower. This time, Doncic is healthy and ready to go at it against Chris Paul and company. He even had just scored 41 points in Thursday’s 102-98 home win over the Toronto Raptors.
Plus, the Mavs have Kristaps Porzingis looking to dominate a Deandre Ayton-less Suns squad. The Latvian unicorn did not have much problem scoring against the Suns this season, as he averaged 20.3 points to go with 7.9 rebounds and 1.8 blocks in those outings. The emergence of Jalen Brunson as a capable playmaker on his own will also be a boost for the Mavs. In fact, the Suns know all about that, as the former Villanova Wildcats star has already dropped a total of 36 points versus Phoenix this 2021-22 NBA campaign.
PREDICTIONS:
Spread: Sure, the Mavs have been winless in two games against Phoenix this season, but they covered the spread in both those contests. With Doncic now available for them, it sounds like another cover for the Mavericks (+3) against Phoenix.
Over/Under: The Suns can’t have their usual fast pace against Dallas, which is 29th in the NBA in terms of possessions per 48 minutes. The Under (213.5) sounds like a good pick for this game.
