The Dallas Mavericks and Phoenix Suns will play Game 2 of their Western Conference second-round playoff series on Wednesday night at the Footprint Center.
The Dallas Mavericks come into this series having defeated the Utah Jazz in six games to get past the first round after going 52-30 during the regular season, earning the No. 4 seed in the West.
The Phoenix Suns, on the other hand, owned the best record in the West, going 64-18 and defeating the New Orleans Pelicans in six games in the first round.
The Phoenix Suns are listed as the -6 point home favorites, while the over/under for this game is set at 216 points. Let’s dive into this matchup and see how these two teams matchup.
Dallas Mavericks Look to Steal Win on the Road
Dallas is behind 1-0 in the series after dropping Game 1 121-114 on Monday. Luka Doncic led the Mavericks with 45 points on 50 percent shooting, but the rest of the team shot just 38.5 percent. Dallas handled the ball well, turning it over only nine times, but they were unable to overcome their dismal shooting.
In Game 1, the Dallas Mavericks’ defense allowed Phoenix to shoot over 50% from the field, allowing the Suns to score 121 points. Dallas has allowed an average of 102.1 points per game in the postseason and had allowed less than 100 points per game in six of their previous postseason games prior to Monday’s setback.
On offense, the Mavericks are averaging 106.0 points per game in the postseason. Luka Doncic is the Mavericks’ best scorer with an average of 33.0 points per game and a 47.9% overall shooting percentage. Jalen Brunson is the team’s second top scorer, averaging 25.7 points per game while shooting 47.2 percent.
Phoenix Suns Need Defense to Step Up in Game 2
Phoenix comes into this matchup 5-2 in the playoffs after a 7-point triumph in Game 1 at home. Deandre Ayton led the club with 25 points, while Devin Booker added 23 points. In Game 1, each of Phoenix’s five starters scored in double digits, and the Suns shot 50.5 percent overall and 39.3 percent from behind the arc.
Despite the victory, the Suns are giving up too much on defense. The Phoenix Suns allowed 114 points to the Mavericks in Game 1, including surrendering 45 points to Doncic on their home court. Phoenix is surrendering 110.4 points per game on average and are conceding 44.1 rebounds per game on average, including 13.9 offensive rebounds per game.
Phoenix is averaging 112.7 points per game in the postseason, which is third highest in the league. The Suns have a 52.0 percent overall shooting percentage and a 33.0 percent behind the arc.
Phoenix’s leading scorer is Devin Booker, who averages 23.0 points per game, while Chris Paul, who averages 21.9 points per game, is a big facilitator dishing out 10.1 assists per game.
Mavericks/Suns Betting Prediction
Although Phoenix has dominated this battle with Dallas, the Mavericks have one of the league’s best defenses. Dallas was second in the NBA in points allowed with 104.7 per game during the regular season, and the Mavericks are allowing only 102.1 points per game in the postseason, which is third-best in the league.
Additionally, Dallas has covered the spread in five of its past six games overall and 16 of its last 21 straight up while facing a team with a winning record. Phoenix has the better team, but they’re still just 6-4 in their last ten games.
Phoenix has played horrible defense, and I don’t see anything changing in this one. Dallas will keep this one close; that being said, I’m backing Dallas +6.
100% up to $3,000 Bonus
Bovada is our most recommended ONLINE CASINO and POKER ROOM for US players with excellent deposit options. Get your 100% signup bonus today.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.