Suns at Mavericks
With a playoff spot locked up, Dallas sets its sights on getting
healthy and beginning to play better basketball when it hosts Phoenix on
Wednesday. The Mavericks have secured the seventh seed despite losing
six of their last eight games and the first two of their current
three-game homestand.
Fortunately, they have been enjoying their only three-day break of the season to lick their wounds in the wake of a 123-110 loss to Golden State on Saturday. Starters Chandler Parsons (knee) and Rajon Rondo (knee) and veteran backup Richard Jefferson (toe) each sat out practice Monday. All three might return against the Suns, but head coach Rick Carlisle may choose to provide them with further rest with little else to play for. Phoenix's playoff hopes are hanging by a thread after an ugly 96-69 loss at Atlanta on Tuesday that left them 3 1/2 games behind eighth-place New Orleans with four to play.
TV: 9:30 p.m. ET, ESPN, FSN Arizona (Phoenix), KTXA (Dallas)
ABOUT THE SUNS (39-39): Phoenix has taken each of the first three meetings this season, averaging 121 points over the first two encounters and then shooting 51.3 percent from the field in a 98-92 win over Dallas at home on March 22. That offensive efficiency was nowhere to be found Tuesday in Atlanta, where each of the Suns starters were unable to score in double figures. Forward Brandan Wright made 4-of-5 shots while his teammates combined to go 22-of-78 from the floor in the team's worst offensive performance this season.
ABOUT THE MAVERICKS (46-31): While Dallas awaits the return of a handful of players, it is receiving plenty of help from former Suns' player Amar'e Stoudemire, who has been exceptionally productive of late. The big man is averaging 12.5 points in 17 minutes over his last four games, putting up an average of 9.3 shots in his limited time on the floor. Stoudemire needed only 17 minutes to produce 16 points in the loss at Phoenix last month.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Suns SF Gerald Green has taken 33 shots in a total of 44 minutes over his last two games.
2. Mavericks PF Dirk Nowitzki is 28-of-54 from 3-point range since the start of March.
3. Phoenix's magic number to be eliminated from playoff contention is one.