Phoenix Suns vs Dallas Mavericks Prediction & Betting Tips - NBA

Prediction published on 03/05/2022, 08:45  by Joseph King | Modified on 03/05/2022 at 15:45 in Basketball Predictions

Game two of the Western Conference semifinals is set to tip off in Phoenix when the Suns host the Dallas Mavericks at the Footprint Center. The Suns will be looking to protect home court and take a 2-0 series lead before they head back to Dallas for games three and four. Phoenix came out on top 121-114 in game one after an excellent collective team effort saw the starting five each score double digits and combine for 91 total points. The Mavericks star point guard Luka Doncic exploded for 45 points but wasn’t given enough support by the role players as 23-year-old Slovenian was the only Dallas player to score over 20 points. It’s crucial for the Mavericks to tie this series up as teams that fall behind 2-0 in the NBA playoffs have a rough history. Only 20 times out of 282 attempts have teams successfully come back to win the series after a 2-0 deficit. Additionally, since 2012 only six teams have been able to climb out of a 2-0 hole with the latest being the Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference finals of the 2018 playoffs.

We’re going to look at the player props market for this game, specifically Mavericks guard Jalen Brunson. The diminutive playmaker is coming off 13 points in game one on a poor 6-16 shooting from the field. We’re expecting a bounce back game from Brunon here as his last performance was the first time in these playoffs that he has failed to break the 20 point mark. Brunson averaged 27.8 points per game against the Jazz in round one and continued his high production even after the return of Luka Doncic into the starting five. The important thing to note for this bet is that Brunson has been getting consistent touches and shot opportunities. This series will be won or lost for the Mavericks depending on their role-player production. We know what we’re going to get from Doncic but as shown in game one, the Slovenian phenom will need his teammates to step up if they are to progress to the Western Conference finals.