The biggest question after Game 1 of the series is does Luka Doncic have enough, or maybe any, help? The Dallas Mavericks star went off for 45 points, 12 rebounds, and eight assists in the Mavericks’ 121-114 loss to the Phoenix Suns. Now Dallas looks to produce a different result at 10 p.m. ET Wednesday in Game 2.
The Mavericks enter having won a six-game series with the Utah Jazz, even after losing the first game on home court, which they hope is a positive sign heading their way. A midseason trade of Kristaps Porzingis opened up the floor to allow for more spacing for Doncic to operate, but it also took away a second star.
The Suns also needed six games to take care of the New Orleans Pelicans, who advanced from the play-in tournament to take the eighth seed in the Western Conference. The series was tied at two before Phoenix pulled ahead, getting a surprise return from Devin Booker, who was reportedly to be out into May.
In the Game 1 win, Booker scored 23 points on 7-of-20 shooting with nine rebounds and eight assists. Continue reading to get our latest Mavericks at Suns stats and odds analysis.
Mavericks at Suns Stats
Dallas Mavericks stats
Dallas made a name for itself on the defensive end. The Mavericks were second in points allowed per game at 104.7, and they forced teams to shoot 34% on 3-pointers, the fourth-best rate in the league.
Offensively they were subpar at 24th, scoring 108 points per game. That is partly due to pace, but they also did not shoot it great, ranking 18th in field goal percentage (46.1%) and 19th in 3-point percentage (35%).
In Game 1, three other Mavericks scored in double figures, with Maxi Kleber — who is questionable for Game 2 with a neck injury — leading the way with 19 points off the bench. Jalen Brunson is averaging 27.8 points per game in the postseason, but that’s due to a usage bump with Doncic missing a few games in the previous series.
Though he is the team’s second-leading scorer at 16.3 points per game in the regular season. They’re still trying to find production after Tim Hardaway Jr. suffered a season-ending injury. Spencer Dinwiddie, who was acquired in the Porzingis trade, seemingly needs to step up.
Phoenix Suns stats
Phoenix gets it done on both ends of the court. They have a top-10 offense and defense. Their offense ranks fifth at 114.8 points per game and the most efficient team at 48.5%. They were ninth during the regular season in 3-point percentage at 36.4% and seventh in free throw percentage at 79.7%.
Defensively they were ninth, allowing 107.3 points per game partly due to a quicker pace. Though looking at efficiency, they had the third-best rate at opposing field goal percentage (44.4%) and fifth-best opposing 3-point percentage at 34%.
Booker has understandably taken a step back from his 26.8 points per game from the regular season. He’s still leading the team in the playoffs at 23.0 points per game. The rise of veteran Chris Paul has been the key, averaging 22.3 points, 11.3 assists, and 1.8 steals. Having a tough matchup in the post in Deandre Ayton has been huge so far, as he’s averaging 20.5 points and 9.8 rebounds per game in the postseason.
Mavericks at Suns Betting Trends
- NBA betting odds show the Suns are favored by 6.5 points and have a -250 Moneyline offering.
- The Mavericks are +6.5 and are +210 on the Moneyline.
- The over/under is 216.
- Betting stats NBA show 51% of public bets are on the Suns against the spread, and 68% are taking the over.
- Over the last 30 meetings, the Suns are 22-8 against the spread. The under is 6-2 across the last eight meetings.
- Phoenix is on a nine-game winning streak straight up against Dallas and has covered the spread in all but one of those games. The over is 3-6 in those contests.
- Dallas is 51-37-1 against the spread and 34-54-1 on over/under this season.
- Phoenix is 49-40 against the spread and 45-43-1 on over/under this season.
Mavericks at Suns Betting Predictions
Early on in the season, the Phoenix Suns looked like the favorite NBA picks to run away to a title, but the Pelicans may have cast some doubt, along with an injury to Booker, who is clearly still affected by it. They have a big three that is difficult to stop on the perimeter and inside, which is the blueprint to winning a title that, perhaps, the Boston Celtics showed with Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, and Kevin Garnett. It’s just a different lineup for Phoenix.
Unless the Mavericks are planning to go with a three-guard lineup, it isn’t plausible that Dinwiddie is the guy who steps up with Brunson and Doncic already in the starting lineup. Bench minutes are typically limited in the postseason, though he played 30 minutes and scored eight points in Game 1. Reggie Bullock is going to have to take on a larger load for the Mavericks with his 3-point shooting.
There’s a reason the Suns have dominated the series of late, and it’s because they’re simply the better team. That winning streak pre-dates the bubble, even. The Phoenix Suns again are the pick at -6.5. Hope you enjoyed our Mavericks at Suns Stats analysis!
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