DALLAS — The Dallas Mavericks take on the Phoenix Suns at 6:30 p.m. CT Wednesday on KFAA! Not sure how to watch? Here's a breakdown on how to tune in – and guarantee you get the clearest signal possible of the broadcast.
With the Dallas Mavericks season quickly approaching the half-month mark and with a tenth of the schedule already in the books, the team already finds itself in the thick of the Western Conference, as expected. Dallas has ridden its stellar backcourt and improved depth to a 5-3 record, which includes a 2-1 mark against visiting Eastern Conference teams this week.
The good: Kyrie Irving is shooting 50% from the floor and 55% from deep so far, benefiting just as much from the addition of Klay Thompson as Thompson himself has for his open looks. Thompson is still at 40% after coming down a bit from his stellar first week, but the sight of the third-scoring option lynchpin pulling up from an Irving or Luka Doncic pass continues to deliver for all involved.
Doncic’s deep shot, meanwhile, is still finding its mark early as he works himself to form after missing the preseason, but he hasn’t been hindered for playing time after developing a few nagging injuries thus far.
Over the last week, even the Dallas losses have been relatively close, losing by seven or fewer points to Indiana and Houston. In their wins, the offense has managed two 20-point blowouts as coach Jason Kidd continues to tinker with his rotation. Frustration in the close losses perhaps stemmed from not turning it on earlier when the games were still more in question, but the season is young and any sort of behavior that leads to losses can be addressed by Kidd.
Dallas now progresses into tough matchups over the weekend, hosting Kevin Durant and the Phoenix Suns on Friday night in their current home stretch finale, before the next MVP candidate clash in Denver against the Nuggets on Sunday night.
The Suns are one of the three teams that sit atop the conference with just one loss and are the other team that beat the Mavericks earlier this season. It’s been so far so good for Phoenix on the health issues that they experienced to doom the veteran core in a disappointing season last year.
Stars Durant and Devin Booker are combining for 52 per night on average, and Bradley Beal is averaging 35 minutes per game as their third option. Both teams will be missing key elements of their defense, however, with center Dereck Lively II still nursing a shoulder injury and the Suns without rookie Ryan Dunn out with a bum ankle.
Sunday’s contest will be a great measuring stick game for the Mavs who have gotten their wins when they’ve found their stroke early and often. The Suns’ defense has led them to their hot start and helped them to a 114-102 win over Dallas back in late October in Arizona, but it will be tested by a Mavs team that brings their evolved depth. Also, Luka vs. Booker never disappoints as one of the league’s budding rivalries.
Dallas lost to Phoenix in the second game of the season by that 12-point margin despite their big three combining for 81 while the bench chipped in with just nine points. It will be up to the down roster options to chip in more to help the Mavericks even up the season series with the Suns.
Eventually, the team's identities will be better known by the time Dallas next sees Phoenix in the valley for a post-Christmas matchup. For now, the Mavericks’ rotation faces one of their first big challenges of the season as they advance into November contests against some of the league’s best frontcourts.
Can Dallas continue to weather the big man storm? While Lively has come off the bench early in the season, there was little doubt of the pecking order for the Dallas bigs. Jusuf Nurkic may not cause panic in Lively’s absence, but matchups with Nikola Jokic, Lauri Markkanen, and Victor Wembanyama loom in the next week for Daniel Gafford and company if Lively continues to be unavailable.
Do you think the Mavericks will get revenge on the Suns on Friday night? Share your predictions with Irvin on X (formerly Twitter) @Twittirv.
