Phoenix Suns vs Dallas Mavericks Picks and Odds Nov 19

Phoenix Suns vs Dallas Mavericks Betting Preview

WagerTalk NBA handicapper Tony Finn offers his Phoenix Suns vs Dallas Mavericks betting preview for Friday, November 19. At the time of posting, the defending Western Conference champs are an 8.5-point home favorite over the visitors from Dallas with the total sitting at 211.5 points.

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Phoenix Suns vs Dallas Mavericks Predictions

• Phoenix Suns -8.5 vs Dallas Mavericks
• Total: 211.5 Points
• Dallas is 1-6 against the spread in their last seven games as an underdog.
• Phoenix is 7-2 against the spread in their last nine games as a favorite.

Phoenix begins the pre-Thanksgiving Day weekend climbing with a 10-game winning streak on the line when they host Dallas in a Friday night ESPN nationally televised event. The Dallas Mavericks (9-5, 1st in NBA – Southwest Division) and Phoenix Suns (11-3, 2nd in NBA – Pacific Division) take the hardwood at Talking Stick Resort Arena in downtown Phoenix with a tipoff scheduled for 10:00pm ET.

The two teams play for the second time this season. The Suns defeated the Mavericks 105-98 in their last matchup on Nov. 17 at Talking Stick. Devin Booker led the Suns in scoring with 24 points. Tim Hardaway Jr. topped the scoring chart for the Mavericks with 22 points.

There was nothing aesthetically pleasing with the Suns or the Mavericks in the first of this Phoenix home-and-still-at-home series. Phoenix shot a porous 30 percent from the floor for three quarters. Like the old-school tradition-rich college football programs at the arrival of the game’s final stanza, an entire team holds up four fingers. The scoreboard clock read 4th Quarter – noon minutes remaining – that’s when Devin Booker exited the golden carriage driven by mice unsurprisingly executed a cross-over that led to a driving layup with 5:32 left, which gave the Suns their first lead of the fourth Quarter at 87-86.

The bucket by Booker was followed by a patented Chris Paul 13-foot elbow jumper that led to a “rumble in the jungle” into the “Land of the Giants,” finding 7-footer Deandre Ayton going old school for a 6-foot one-handed push shot that catches nothing but net. Then, with both Phoenix and Dallas rotations operating at a tempo typically reserved for the desperate late in a fourth quarter, Paul slices a perfect bounce pass to Mikal Bridges for a Jamaal Wilkes silky smooth 23-footer that was all net.

A defensive stop aided by a deflected pass helped Bridges assist on a Jae Crowder corner three. Then, with less than two minutes remaining in the game, Paul points at Booker, who quickly obeys by setting a screen with Crowder allowing Ayton to catch a roll-pass for a 4-foot dunk.

At that point, in animated slow motion and from the mouths of babes who with raised arms in a side-to-side motion formed the lyrics in a sweet rendition of “So long, you didn’t have your Wheaties,”… which morphed into a prelude to a 28-foot three-point dagger by Booker. A dead-solid-perfect shot that ripped the nylon demanding the Fat Lady sing.

Phoenix players had just put together an all-time all-perfect 37-point all-Suns scoring outburst in the final quarter.

This kind of Association dynamic by a group of NBA Finals runners-up is why the Suns are piggybacking the longest current winning streak in the league.

“The guys played hard, gave us a chance to win on the road against the Western Conference champs, who also have won nine in a row,” Mavericks coach Jason Kidd spoke in the post-game presser. “Everyone in that locker room executed the game plan. We just missed some shots down the stretch, and they didn’t,” added Kidd.

Quote by the Mavericks sixth-man Jalen Brunson: “We had control of it, but they are a good team. They went to the Finals for a reason.”

Dallas Mavericks Notes

Luka Doncic and his teammates attempt to end a losing streak to Phoenix at seven consecutive games.

This season, the Mavericks were playing their first game without All-Star Doncic, who suffered sprains to his left knee and ankle in the waning moments of a victory over Denver on Monday.

Brunson started in place of the inactive Doncic in Wednesday night’s loss to Phoenix. Reliable sources from the Dallas Morning News reported on Thursday night that Doncic’s status for tonight’s game is “doubtful.”

Brunson’s performance on Wednesday night was one that certainly Doncic watched with pride. Starting in place of Doncic found Brunson a rebound and assist short of recording a triple-double (18 points, nine rebounds, and nine assists).

Phoenix Suns Notes

The backcourt of the Suns isn’t likely to scuffle for three quarters as they did on Wednesday night against the same Mavericks roster.

With the knowledge that Dallas possesses a -1.1 net rating on the season, it was to my surprise the Mavericks net rating without Doncic is 13.0. While the sample size (408 possession) is small compared to the minutes and possessions with Doncic on the court (1201) according to CleaningTheGlass, the largest differential in metrics with Booker off the floor is the Dallas team defense. With Doncic, the Mavs surrender 109.4 points per 100 possessions. Without Doncic, the defensive rating is 99.3.

Doncic, who was reportedly doubtful to play at the close of NBA business on Thursday, doesn’t change the Mavs overall metrics for the worst when he is off the court. Note that math isn’t the end-all that accurately predicts the final score from game to game. Dynamics, game night mojo, has a large responsibility in who the winners and losers are.

PF Frank Kaminsky (knee soreness) was a DNP on Wednesday night.

In Wednesday’s 105-98 victory, the Suns didn’t score their first point until nearly four minutes had run off the 1st Quarter game clock. Paul missed his first nine shots before making a 15-foot jumper early in the fourth quarter and finished well below his average with just seven points.

Ayton recorded his 100th double-double in 186 career games. In addition, the 7-foot center player registered the 100th double-double in the least number of starts in franchise history.

Phoenix Suns vs Dallas Mavericks Injury Report

Suns: Dario Saric: out (knee), Frank Kaminsky: out (knee).
Mavericks: Maxi Kleber: out (back), Luka Doncic: Doubtful (knee/ankle).

In the second game in three nights, and likely without their star, the Mavericks will not be as fortunate without Doncic. Consider that Tim Hardaway Jr. scored 22 points, Kristaps Porzingis added 21, and Jalen Brunson had 18. At the same time, the Suns shot just 44 percent overall from the floor, 33.3% from distance, had fewer assists and rebounds, and managed to walk away with the win doesn’t offer a promising outlook to Friday night’s matchup in downtown Phoenix.

Phoenix Suns vs Dallas Mavericks Analysis from The GoldSheet

Phoenix has won seven-straight against Dallas (6-1 vs. the number), and the Mavs are now just 3-14 vs. the points against the Suns since the middle of the 2016-17 season. Phoenix is currently on a 10-game winning streak, although they’ve failed to cover the last two of those, including a meeting with this same Dallas team in the Footprint Center on Tuesday. The Mavs did manage to cover that one, by one point, playing without star G Luka Doncic, who also figures to be out for this one if early reports are correct. Dallas is 0-4 straight-up and 1-3 vs. the number last four chances as a road dog and have a hard time backing Mavs if Doncic can’t go. Play Phoenix.

NBA Tip-Off Show

Steph Curry and the Warriors pulled off a fantastic fourth quarter comeback (and cover) last night at Cleveland. What do they have left in the tank for Detroit tonight? Join Joe, Tony, Rob and Kevin for the NBA Tip-Off Show at 4:15pm ET / 1:15pm PT as we discuss tonight’s marquee games, including this Phoenix Suns vs Dallas Mavericks clash.

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