The Mavericks welcome the Phoenix Suns to the American Airlines Center tonight. Dallas has been pretty mediocre at home, and a win against the Suns would help get things back on track.
What do the Mavs need to do to be successful against the Suns?
Coming out strong on their home floor would be a start. Dallas has lost three straight home games and have been incredibly up-and-down. The Mavs' offense shot 36 percent against the Hawks earlier in the week, but that number improved to 42.7 percent against the Wizards on Saturday, which still isn't great.
Defensively, the Mavs allowed the Hawks to shoot 48.1 percent and the Wizards to shoot 51.8 percent. Nothing has gone right for Dallas at home lately, and that needs to change.
What happened the last time these two played?
The Mavs and Suns met up in Phoenix on opening night, where Dallas rolled to a surprising 111-95 win. Eight Mavs finished in double figures, led by Raymond Felton's 18.
What player might surprise you about the Suns?
Tyson Chandler (remember him?), but not in a good way. Chandler's Phoenix tenure hasn't started on a great note. The big man is averaging 5.0 points and 8.8 rebounds-per-game while shooting just 46.4 percent from the floor. That's quite the drop off from the 10.3 points and 11.5 rebounds he averaged in Dallas last year. Chandler also missed seven games with a hamstring injury, but should be ready for Dallas. No doubt he'll be pumped to play against the team that spurned him twice in free agency.
How to watch
The game will be on Fox Sports Southwest or NBA League Pass. Tipoff is at 7:30 p.m.