A wise man once said, “the road goes on forever, and the party never ends.” Well for the Dallas Mavericks (19-33, 12th in the Western Conference), the road is certainly going on forever, as they will not
play at home again until Feb. 26. As for the party, well that depends on what your definition of a good time is. These Mavericks have lost seven in a row, which has catapulted them up the Tankathon standings. The losses are great for those who are firmly looking forward to the NBA Draft this summer, but without a doubt are wearing on a lot of people, too.
In order to get off the proverbial schneid, the Mavericks will have to beat the shockingly decent Phoenix Suns (31-22, seventh in the Western Conference) in the valley of the sun. The Suns also lost on Saturday evening, as the Sixers were able to win by the final of 109-103. Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey combined for 62 points in the win, while Devin Booker’s 21 points and nine assists were not enough to complete a comeback win.
What should you be looking for as the game progresses? Here’s a few things to know.
Immovable force vs stoppable object
You know the saying of “bug, meet windshield”? Well, that could be the case in this contest. The Suns are one of the best home teams in the entire NBA, having gone 17-9 against the spread at home. At 65.4%, that is the second-best cover percentage in the NBA, behind the New York Knicks at 70.4%. The Mavericks, meanwhile, are a dreadful road team. The Mavericks have won just five road games this entire season and are dead last in the NBA against the spread as the road team at just 33%. As I said prior to the Warriors at Mavs game a few weeks ago, games are not played on paper. But the sheet of paper here is pretty telling.
Cooper Flagg, problem solver
It was very cool to watch Cooper Flagg over the back-to-back set against the Spurs. Even though the Mavericks lost rather handily in both games, you could see Cooper Flagg evolving over the course of the games. In the first half on Thursday, Flagg was tentative going into the lane against Wembanyama, as most players are. But then you look up in the fourth quarter, and he’d scored 20 second half points on excellent efficiency. Sunday was a bit different, as the Mavericks were thoroughly beaten from the jump, but even then, you could still see the vision. It’s a joy to watch the young man work, and this game against a lesser Phoenix team should allow for some more fun.
Dillon Brooks, more than just a villain
Let’s wrap this up by giving props to Dillon Brooks. For most of his career, Brooks has made his living by just being a pest. It was his whole identity in Memphis, which ended up being his demise. In Houston, they asked him to do more offensively, which helped him build to where he is now in Phoenix. Brooks is averaging over 21 points per game, by far the best number of his career. Phoenix wouldn’t be where they are now without him providing the offensive juice that he does.
How to watch
Tipoff is scheduled for just after 8 p.m. from the Mortgage Matchup Center (that can’t be a real company, can it?) in Phoenix. The game will be televised locally on Mavs TV.
