Mavericks vs. Suns Preview: 3 notes before Dallas trips to Phoenix
We’re so shut to the top of a dreadful 2025-26 season of Dallas Mavericks basketball that we will style it.
(*3*) recreation between the Mavericks (25-54) and the Phoenix Suns (43-35) at Mortgage Matchup Center wraps up the ultimate back-to-back set for Dallas with three video games remaining on the schedule. The Mavs are coming into the sport on the heels of Tuesday’s 116-103 loss on the Los Angeles Clippers, whereas the Suns are available in on one evening’s relaxation after dropping a recreation to the Houston Rockets, 119-105.
Cooper Flagg’s brilliance within the two video games before Tuesday’s loss has stored the flailing Mavericks within the wider NBA dialog, as opinions fly in each course regarding the NBA Rookie of the Year race. His 25 factors on 9-of-25 capturing in opposition to the Clippers is not fairly as robust an argument for his candidacy, however he is nonetheless filling up the stat sheet on a nightly foundation because the season winds down.
The Suns will likely be motivated to win (*3*) recreation, because the Clippers sit simply two video games again of Phoenix for the seventh seed within the Western Conference, with the playoff image coming into focus. The Mavericks’ motivation, as is nicely documented, is just for higher draft lottery odds at this level.
This ought to be a reasonably easy handshake deal between two first rivals.
The Mavericks’ try-hard tendency is admirable. The guys on the court docket are opponents, and it is resulted in a 16-27 report in clutch video games this season.
But the unstated goal is obvious: get hold of one of the best odds to get as excessive a decide as doable within the upcoming NBA Draft. Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd wants to study the top of the roster as carefully as doable within the final three video games of the season so as to give this staff its finest likelihood to discover some upward trajectory subsequent season.
The Mavericks and the Suns tip off from Mortgage Matchup Center at 9 pm CDT. The recreation will likely be televised domestically on KFAA Channel 29 and on sister stations all through the Mavericks’ regional viewership space. You can catch the stream on MavsTV and on NBA League Pass the place accessible.
