SUMMARY
- The Mavericks will be taking on the Suns tonight at the American Airlines Center.
- Luka Doncic has been listed a probable due to a nose injury.
Luka Doncic certainly had a great All-Star Weekend based on what we’ve seen on the internet. But now it is time to get back into business during the second half of the season. Before the All-Star break, the Mavericks recorded a couple of important wins doing 7-3 in 10 games. They rank seventh in the Western Conference with a 32-23 record. The Mavericks are currently on a six-game win streak ahead of their matchup against the Phoenix Suns.
Dallas Mavericks last 6 games:
#1 Defense
#6 Offense
#1 Net Rating
6-0 Record pic.twitter.com/f5hcdg0erf— Landon Thomas (@sixfivelando) February 15, 2024
The Suns and Mavericks are two teams to look out for during the second half of the season. Both teams have displayed great confidence moving into the most competitive stage of the 2023-24 campaign. The Suns rank 5th in the West with a 33-22 record. The Suns and Maverick have already met twice this season having one win against each other. Overall, the Mavericks do have a winning record against the Suns in their last 10 appearances.
Luka Doncic is listed as probable for the Mavericks vs. Suns game
Luka Doncic has been making a positive case for the Kia MVP award this season. The guard has been leading the league in scoring averaging 34.2 points, 8.8 rebounds, 9.5 assists, and 1.4 steals per game. However, he has been listed as probable due to a nose injury. In his absence, the Mavericks have gone 3-5 this season. It will be left to Kyrie Irving to carry the team.
KYRIE IRVING WITH THE STRONG FINISH…OH MY 🤯 pic.twitter.com/LOtHKUWDKN
— Kyrie Center (@kyriecenterig) February 15, 2024
Dallas Mavericks Injury Report:
- Dereck Lively II (Probable)
- Maxi Kleber (Probable)
- Dante Exum (Out)
- Luka Doncic (Probable)
Dallas Mavericks Expected Lineup:
- Luka Doncic
- Kyrie Irving
- Josh Green
- PJ Washington
- Dereck Lively II
Phoenix Suns Injury Report:
- Bradley Beal (Questionable)
- Damion Lee (Out)
Phoenix Suns Expected Lineup:
- Devin Booker
- Eric Gordon
- Grayson Allen
- Kevin Durant
- Jusuf Nurkic
The Suns have certainly been fighting through lately under the leadership of Booker and Durant. Their shooting guard, Bradley Beal is yet to make consistent appearances on the floor. He has been dealing with a hamstring and nose injury. Beal has made 30 appearances on the floor with the Suns averaging 18.2 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game as their third option.
The Suns have an advantage over Luka Doncic and the Mavericks
It is important to note that Luka Doncic will most likely play through an injury if the Mavericks decide to bring him out to the floor. Both teams resemble each other in various ways. Just like the Mavericks, the Suns have two lethal scorers who average 28 points per game each. However, the Suns have a better defensive rating of 114.5 against the Mavericks’ 116.2.
Nurkic and Allen are two pivotal role players on the team on both sides of the floor. Allen has stepped up as the team’s best facilitator and perimeter shooter averaging 2.5 made three-pointers per game. The Suns could cause some serious damage during this game and take advantage of whatever injury Doncic suffers from.
Doncic remains the key player for the Mavericks, however, if not for him, Irving will most likely step up to the occasion. Booker has to have a good scoring night to solidify a victory against the Mavericks. On paper, the Suns seem like a tougher team.