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The Mavericks-Suns line was set at Phoenix -1. The total on this game was 207 at Sportsbook.com.
This chapter of the Suns-Mavs rivalry should be interesting, as both teams are playing some of their best basketball of the year entering the All-Star break
The Mavs seem to have fully adjusted to the loss of Caron Butler. Following a midseason swoon after Butler first went down for the season, they’ve rung off 12 wins in 13 games (9-3 ATS during that span). They’ve been outstanding on the offensive end, scoring 105.5 PPG and shooting 48.6% from the field during their recent hot streak. It’s been a balanced attack, with six players averaging double-digit points and Dirk Nowitzki leading the way with 20.0 PPG on 49.2% shooting. And now they’re getting more help.
The newest addition, long-range specialist Peja Stojakovic, has provided a spark since stepping into Butler’s old starting spot. He scored 22 in Houston on Saturday night and added 12 in a 116-100 win over the Kings Wednesday night, shooting a combined 13-for-23 from the field and 6-for-11 from three in those games. Dallas also got talented young combo guard Roddy Beaubois back from a foot injury for Wednesday night’s win. Beaubois pitched in 13 points, six assists and three steals in 21 minutes off the bench.
Dallas played at home against Sacramento Wednesday night, but the Mavs won’t be as worn down as they’d normally be in a back-to-back situation. Because of their new-found depth, no one on the roster played more than 28 minutes against the Kings, and Nowitzki played only 23 in the win. The Mavs have won three of their past four SU on the second night of a back-to-back, as well as three in a row ATS. Only the Spurs have a better road record than the Mavs, who are 18-8 SU on the road this year. Dallas has a 17-9 ATS record in road games, which ranks fourth in the league.
The Suns have been nearly as hot, winning seven of nine SU (6-3 ATS). Steve Nash has been playing at an elite level, handing out 12.7 APG during that span as five Phoenix players are averaging between 11 and 16 PPG. But they’ve mostly been getting it done with surprisingly strong defense. The Suns, typically one of the NBA’s weakest defensive teams in recent years, were allowing 107.9 PPG through their first 44 games, second-worst in the league. Over their past nine, they’ve allowed just 93.1 PPG and have forced opponents to 41.9% shooting from the field, second behind only Miami during that span.
Though while the Suns are playing better defense, part of their success has been due to opponents simply shooting it poorly from the outside. Opponents are hitting just 29.3% of their threes against the Suns during this recent hot streak, a number that simply isn’t sustainable. Golden State hit just 8-of-38 threes in their home-and-home with Phoenix, Milwaukee went 5-for-23 and even Boston hit just 2-of-18. The Mavs are particularly hot from behind the arc right now, hitting 41.4% of their threes over the past 10 games, and 48.5% over their past three.
