Dallas Mavericks vs Phoenix Suns: Will Mavericks stand a chance without Luka?

In this game, two iconic rivals will meet up to add yet another story in their vast cannon of match-ups. The Phoenix Suns will host the Dallas Mavericks in an exciting contest but the Mavs will play without Luka Doncic. Suns are the hottest team in the league right now having won nine games in a row. Dallas has a 9-4 record and has held the fort. For quick notes, simply head over to “Expert Betting Tips”.

Winning even without Ayton

Deandre Ayton has missed a number of games recently but despite that, the Suns have been able to capitalize enough to eke out victories. Devin Booker has been phenomenal while CP-3 continues to dish assists, but it has been the defense that has been the calling card here. The Suns have restricted opponents to 100 points or less in five of the last nine games. The team has also scored 112 points or more six times during the win streak. However, most of the wins are against teams that have a low record.

The team looks deep

Despite winning against largely sub-par teams, the wins can’t be called a fluke because the Suns earned a trip to the 2020-21 Finals. The team has incredible depth and when Ayton went down, off-season signee JaVale McGee came up with strong scoring and rebounding games. Cameron Payne and Frank Kaminsky have been immense off the bench while the team has ridden on the hot-hand of Devin Booker recently. The Suns can give a ton of trouble to most of the squads in the league.

Porzingis is proving doubters wrong

Kristaps Porzingis has faced a ton of criticism for his shooting struggles at times, but the truth is that at 7 foot+ height, he becomes unstoppable at times. He has led the team in scoring during two of the last three games and comes into this contest after pouring 29 points in the win against Nuggets. The Mavericks are of course driven by Luka Doncic but Kristaps has returned from injury in a big way.

Without Doncic, Brunson may step up

Apart from Porzingis, Jalen Brunson’s offensive game has been one of the reasons why Dallas has done well this season. The guard is averaging around 15 points and has been a viable playmaker as well. Tim Hardaway averages around 14 but with Doncic out, Jalen Brunson’s role becomes even bigger. The team lacks scoring depth significantly but Hardaway, Porzingis, and Brunson can combine for big scoring nights. Dallas needs something big out of these athletes.

• Points Leaders: Devin Booker: 22.9, Deandre Ayton: 15.3, Chris Paul: 14.7
• Rebounds Leaders: Deandre Ayton: 11.4, JaVale McGee: 7.0, Devin Booker: 6.0
• Assists Leaders: Chris Paul: 10.2, Devin Booker: 5.5, Elfrid Payton: 3.0

• Points Leaders: Kristaps Porzingis: 19.3, Jalen Brunson: 15.1, Tim Hardaway: 14.5
• Rebounds Leaders: Kristaps Porzingis: 7.9, Dwight Powell: 5.1, Dorian Finney-Smith: 5.0
• Assists Leaders: Jalen Brunson: 4.7, Tim Hardaway: 2.4, Kristaps Porzingis: 1.4.

With Ayton returning and with Doncic out for the Mavericks, it is clear that the Suns possess an advantage here. The Suns are a much deeper team than the Mavs but the latter has shown the tendency to fight it out against the odds before. We think that the Suns have an edge in this match-up.

Here are some quick notes:

• The Mavericks have won 5 of their last 6 games;
• The Suns are on a nine-game win-streak but have played easier teams recently;
• Luka Doncic will miss the game while Maxi Kleber will also sit out;
• Cameron Payne is averaging 9.3 PPG off the bench for the Suns;
• Jalen Brunson has scored 17 points thrice in the last five outings;
• Dallas scores 105.0 PPG, which is the eighth worst in the league, how will they do without Doncic who scores around 25 for them every game?
• Phoenix Suns are fourth in the league in terms of scoring with 111.0 PPG. They allow around 105.5 PPG;
• Do check the injury list before the game;
• Frank Kaminsky is questionable for the game when it comes to the Suns.

• Player Points: DeAndre Ayton Over 14.5 for 1.86;
• Away Team Total Points: Under (104.5) for 1.90;
• W1 and TU 215.5 - Yes for 2.45.