Miami Heat

Sunday’s game was lefts out of the analysis, with the 15-7 Phoenix Suns visiting the underdog San Antonio Spurs looking to bounce back from a surprise 122-121 home loss to the Houston Rockets. Phoenix snapped a six-game winning streak on Friday with a 12-point victory over the hapless Rockets.

Phoenix scored 62-40, and the Rockets hit 43 free throws. Devin Booker led the Suns with 41 points & eight assists, Cameron Payne had a double-double with 20 pts and 12 assists, and Mikal Bridges had 22 points.

The Dallas Mavericks ended their four-game slide with a 116-113 home win over the Golden State Warriors in a disappointing 131-125 overtime loss in the low twelve. Two days later, the Mavericks beat the New York Knicks 121-100 to become the championship favorites with a 1.5-point road lead, and the Mavericks chased the opponent to 41 points in the second half.

Dallas forced 20 turnovers from New York and dished out just 18 assists. The Mavs made 24 of 61 attempts from beyond the arc while dishing 27 passes with just 11 turnovers. Luka Doncic had 30 points, eight rebounds, & seven assists, Tim Hardaway Jr. had 28 pts (8-for-13 from long range), and Spencer Dinwiddie had 17 points, nine rebounds, nine assists, and 0 assists mistakes.

The Mavericks put a lot of emphasis on ball handling, which was very important against the Suns, who rank in the top 10 in the league in opponent turnover rate and points allowed per 100 possessions. Dallas is also a top-10 defensive team and will find a way to slow Devin Booker down. In their first six meetings with the Suns, the Mavericks are 4-2 SU & 5-1 ATS.