Mavericks vs Suns

Can Dallas really upset Phoenix? Breaking down how Jason Kidd's small-ball approach has the team on the verge of advancing to the conference finals.

They’ve found a winning rotation, and if you haven’t noticed, they have the best player in the series by a marked margin. The Mavericks are getting to the rim and creating open triples at will. Yet despite the home court, I have a creeping feeling we’re headed toward a potential upset to close out the weekend. Dallas finished 20th in defensive rating last season, surrendering 126 points in a Game 7 loss to the Clippers in a first-round matchup. Booker coughed up eight turnovers in Game 6–the Suns recorded 22 in total–and Phoenix was outscored by 30 points at the three-point line. Dwight Powell is now the only true rim runner in the rotation, and every non-Powell lineup pairs Luka Dončić with a quartet of spacers or secondary ball-handlers.

The Dallas Mavericks and Phoenix Suns face off on Sunday at the Footprint Center in Phoenix in Game 7 of their NBA Playoffs series.

Warriors vs. Mavs vs. Celtics vs. Warriors vs. Mavs vs. Celtics vs. - 76ers vs. - 76ers vs. There wasn’t a single close game in this series since the start of it, mostly because of the home crowd and all that comes with it. Game 5 was a Dallas dud, and the reason the game ended under this total. They'll win in the paint, on the glass, and likely keep the free-throw shooting ratio in their favor a bit more than Game 6. Other than that, the other two contests in Phoenix were free-flowing with plenty of offense.

The Dallas Mavericks defeated the Phoenix Suns 113-86 in Game 6 of their Western Conference Semifinals series on Thursday to force a decisive Game 7 in ...

Not only did this result in Dallas taking advantage of the Suns defensively, but it also resulted in Phoenix having careless turnovers possession after possession. Phoenix made it to the NBA Finals last season because they took care of the basketball and had Chris Paul initiating their offense. Frustrations have set in for Phoenix and this was very apparent on Thursday night in Dallas. Having one last home game, Phoenix is going to be very confident, but they should absolutely be concerned after what Dallas did in Game 6. Normally the most poised team in the league, the Suns have shown signs of cracking in their mentality in this series and they have really struggled on the road as a result. Compared to shooting 54.3% from the floor and 42.4% from three-point range at home, the Suns have shot just 43.7% from the floor and 39.4% from three-point range on the road in this series.

The last thing Chris Paul and the Phoenix Suns want to see in Sunday's Game 7 is Scott Foster.

If Foster ends up officiating Game 7, that “punch in the mouth” might be a little bit harder. Be ready to punch them in the mouth early. The Mavs desperately need their role players’ home production to translate to the road for just one game…

SportsLine's model simulated Game 6 of the Dallas Mavericks vs. Phoenix Suns series in the Western Conference semifinals.

Suns? And which side of the spread has all the value? The model also says one side of the spread has all the value. The 12-time All-Star is a balanced scorer who can get a bucket from all three levels on the court. SportsLine's model is leaning over on the total, projecting 215 combined points. Doncic continues to be the most dominant force in this series, as he averages 32.0 points, 9.6 rebounds and 7.4 assists per game. Paul was uncharacteristically turnover-prone and unimpactful in Games 3 and 4. Now, the model has set its sights on Suns vs. Mavs, and just locked in its picks and NBA playoff predictions. The model enters the fourth full week of the 2022 NBA playoffs on a stunning 86-58 roll on all top-rated NBA picks, returning over $2,100. The home team has won by an average of 15.2 points per game thus far in this series and the Mavericks will need to hold serve to avoid elimination and some serious questions about how to go about building a better supporting cast for Luka Doncic. Mavericks odds from Caesars Sportsbook while the over-under is at 212 points. Mavericks picks, you need to see the NBA predictions and betting advice from SportsLine's advanced computer model.

In a key Game 6 matchup, there are several trends showing that these two prop bets for Deandre Ayton are key bets for tonight's matchup.

In the Mavs’ own arena, that number sits at 83.8. More shots means more rebounding possibilities, and it all points to Ayton clearing nine rebounds for the fourth-straight game. Of the 16 teams to make the playoffs, the Mavericks rank dead last throughout the postseason in rebound percentage at 45.6 percent. With the Suns looking to put this series on ice, I think they’ll go to the hot hand in the key early and often.

The Dallas Mavericks have no room for error when they host the Phoenix Suns on Thursday night at the American Airlines Center. The Mavericks must find a way ...

Luka Doncic might be facing the biggest challenge of his career... Doncic was back on the floor midway through the second, and pushed Dallas to a 60-45 halftime lead. PREVIEW INFO: After an ugly Game 5 loss in Phoenix, a rivalry between young All-Stars Doncic and Devin Booker is heating up. Bonus good news: Reggie Bullock appeared to suffer a leg injury on Tuesday and limped off the floor, but he is not listed on the injury report for Game 6. The bad news is the Mavericks are coming off a pitiful performance in a Game 5 loss. Luka Doncic Luka Doncic Luka Doncic The Dallas Mavericks will have a chance to move on to the Western Conference Finals if they can find a way to win the first road game in their series against the Phoenix Suns. It's Mavs 94, Suns with Doncic setting the pace (28 points) and with Dallas having recorded 12 steals (to none for the Suns) and Dallas shooting ... from 3. TO THE FOURTH: Dallas is maintaining its lead over the Suns in large part due to Phoenix' strategy of playing Doncic tight on the perimeter - and Luka blowing by his defender. FINAL: In what turned out to be the real 'Luka Special' on Thursday night, the Mavs blew out the Suns by the final score of 113-86 to force a winner-take-all Game 7 in Phoenix on Sunday. Doncic finished with 33 points, 11 rebounds, eight assists and four steals in 35 minutes of action.

We go over some of the best betting options for Thursday's Game 6 matchup between the Phoenix Suns and Dallas Mavericks.

Regardless, this is truly turning into a battle of the defenses as the games are slowing down and becoming more chippy between the two sides. The funny thing is the Suns didn’t even get much in terms of scoring from Chris Paul, who finished the game with seven points. Mikal Bridges did a great job of shutting down Doncic in Game 5, which he’ll hope to be able to repeat in tonight’s game. The Suns come into this game as 2-point favorites at DraftKings Sportsbook, with moneyline odds at -130. It comes just two days after the Suns steamrolled the Mavs 110-80 in Game 5. It was a stark turnaround for the favorites after losing both games in Dallas, but they’ll try to rectify that tonight by finishing off the series at American Airlines Center. Tipoff is set for 9:30 p.m. ET.

Rundown of biggest storyline, key matchup, team stats, who could emerge as the Suns' X-factor, and injury report for Thursday's Game 6 in Dallas.

That's the efficiency the Suns need from him as he substitutes or plays with Booker on the floor. That's how they beat the Suns in Games 3 and 4 at home, and they could push a Game 7 the same way. He's also tough for Doncic and the Mavericks to stop in transition as a trailer who skies for alley-oop dunks and hits key corner 3s. Following the Suns in their championship bid? Doncic has produced 32.0 ppg on (46.4% shooting), 9.6 rebounds, and 7.4 assists through this Suns-Mavericks series' first five games. The Defensive Player of the Year runner-up Bridges had his second-best game of this series producing 14 points, including two 3s, seven rebounds, and four steals. Doncic (game-highs 28 points and 11 rebounds with two assists in Game 5) is the Mavericks' primary playmaker who tends to dribble for much of the shot clock on their possessions to create his own shots, or to free up ones for his teammates. The Suns' Big Three of Paul, Devin Booker, and Deandre Ayton, and the bench, exploded in Game 5's second half, but they'll need that same production to beat the Mavericks on their home court. There's an old sports adage that a playoff series doesn't begin until either opponent is the first to win a road game. — Game 5 marked the sixth time in franchise history the Suns have held their opponent to 80 or fewer points in a playoff game, while the 30-point win was the fifth time in the Suns' playoff history they've won by 30-plus. — The Suns held Dallas to just nine assists in Game 5, the first time since 2016 that a team has been held to fewer than 10 assists in a playoff game. Both teams brought gritty physicality, on-court pettiness and smug commentary from their star players, as well as potential fisticuffs between two bench players.

Here is all of the information you need to know for Game 6 between the Suns and Mavericks in the Western Conference semifinals.

- G Chris Paul - G Devin Booker The Suns took Game 5 on Tuesday with a 110-80 victory as it marked the sixth time they have held an opponent to 80 or fewer points in a playoff game.

Follow our updates as the Phoenix Suns and Dallas Mavericks face off in Game 6 of their NBA Playoffs Western Conference semifinals.

The Mavericks took their biggest lead 17 points late in the second quarter, and went on an 18-6 run in the final 4:12ds of the half. The game's score has been tight with four ties since the tip-off. That latter two players have three turnovers each or their team's eight, four of which were committed in the second quarter. The Suns' floor general Chris Paul is having another low production game in Dallas as he did in Games 3 and 4. Devin Booker has eight points, which were all scored in the first quarter. Devin Booker has committed a game-high six, including three in the third. The Suns are a 2.5-point favorite in the game against the Mavericks on Thursday, according to Tipico Sportsbook. Click here for picks and predictions for the Suns vs. The Suns trail the Mavericks, 52-43, at under two minutes left in the half. He's got seven points, two rebounds, three assists, and four turnovers. The Suns trail the Mavericks, 60-45, at the intermission. The Suns have conceded the loss and replaced their starters, and the Mavericks have done the same in the game's closing minutes.

The Mavericks must find a way to beat the Suns to even the series at 3-3 or the team will be eliminated from the postseason.

Luka Doncic might be facing the biggest challenge of his career... Doncic was back on the floor midway through the second, and pushed Dallas to a 60-45 halftime lead. PREVIEW INFO: After an ugly Game 5 loss in Phoenix, a rivalry between young All-Stars Doncic and Devin Booker is heating up. Bonus good news: Reggie Bullock appeared to suffer a leg injury on Tuesday and limped off the floor, but he is not listed on the injury report for Game 6. The bad news is the Mavericks are coming off a pitiful performance in a Game 5 loss. Luka Doncic Luka Doncic Luka Doncic The Dallas Mavericks will have a chance to move on to the Western Conference Finals if they can find a way to win the first road game in their series against the Phoenix Suns. It's Mavs 94, Suns with Doncic setting the pace (28 points) and with Dallas having recorded 12 steals (to none for the Suns) and Dallas shooting ... from 3. TO THE FOURTH: Dallas is maintaining its lead over the Suns in large part due to Phoenix' strategy of playing Doncic tight on the perimeter - and Luka blowing by his defender. FINAL: In what turned out to be the real 'Luka Special' on Thursday night, the Mavs blew out the Suns by the final score of 113-86 to force a winner-take-all Game 7 in Phoenix on Sunday. Doncic finished with 33 points, 11 rebounds, eight assists and four steals in 35 minutes of action.

DALLAS -- — Luka Doncic scored 33 points and the Dallas Mavericks beat the Phoenix Suns 113-86 on Thursday night to force a Game 7 in the Western Conference ...

Suns: Ayton got a technical for elbowing Doncic in the face when Doncic fouled him on a dunk in the third quarter. The streak is actually 13 games going back to last season, including a playoff win at the Clippers after a 25-point loss at home. Paul wasn't as bad as the seven turnovers in the first half of Game 3, the most he's ever had in a half in a playoff game. Doncic played through an apparent left leg injury that sent him to the locker room when he would have been out of the game anyway in the second quarter. “I think we won this game on the defensive end,” Doncic said. The Phoenix miscues came after Dallas had 12 turnovers in the third quarter of Game 5 while getting outscored 33-14. I’m excited to be a part of it. They shot a playoff-low 40% with 22 turnovers, the most all season. “I’m excited to feel the energy. Dallas is playing beyond the first round for the first time since winning the title 11 years ago, when first-year coach Jason Kidd was the point guard. I think you guys call it the first time winning an elimination game. “I think he enjoys the moment.

BOTTOM LINE: The Phoenix Suns and the Dallas Mavericks face off in game seven of the Western Conference second round. The Mavericks defeated the Suns 113-86 in ...

BOTTOM LINE: The Phoenix Suns and the Dallas Mavericks face off in game seven of the Western Conference second round. The Suns have gone 39-13 against Western Conference opponents. The Mavericks defeated the Suns 113-86 in the last meeting. The Mavericks are 36-16 in conference play. Phoenix Suns (64-18, first in the Western Conference) Dallas Mavericks (52-30, fourth in the Western Conference) vs.