GDT: Suns (11-8) at Mavs (15-5) 12/5/14

[Underdog]

Stepping in for EL, who is without internet for the next 24 hours... Time to find out if my GDT mojo has improved as much as this Mavs squad.

Suns-Mavericks Preview
http://scores.espn.go.com/nba/preview?gameId=400578576

Coverage: FSSW
8:30 PM ET, December 5, 2014
American Airlines Center, Dallas, TX

Monta Ellis and the Dallas Mavericks are on a roll, not cooling off even when Dirk Nowitzki sits out.

It's likely Nowitzki returns to action Friday night when Ellis and the Mavericks look to bring their clutch play back home following a perfect road trip and deal the Phoenix Suns more misery in Dallas.

The Mavericks (15-5) have won 11 of 13 and five in a row -- all by seven points or fewer -- after pulling out road victories on back-to-back nights twice during their trek to the north. Ellis is largely to thank for all four wins.

Half of his 30 points came in the fourth quarter at Toronto last Friday, a night before he scored 16 in the final 19 minutes as Dallas overcame Nowitzki's absence to beat Philadelphia. Ellis hit three free throws with 1.2 seconds left to force overtime Tuesday in Chicago, then made the go-ahead 3-pointer late in the second OT and finished with a season-high 38 points.

Nowitzki sat out again Wednesday and Ellis struggled with his shot, hitting 11 of 26, but his fall-away jumper at the buzzer gave Dallas a 107-105 win in Milwaukee.

"Look, that's an All-Star, flat out," coach Rick Carlisle said. "The load he's carried on this trip has been phenomenal. Winning two games without Dirk ... Monta Ellis is having some kind of year."

Carlisle is being cautious with the 36-year-old Nowitzki, who is battling a sore back. He played a season-high 42 minutes Tuesday before being rested Wednesday.

"We've got to get that thing knocked out of there and get him ready for whatever the next game is," Carlisle said.

That game is the season series opener with Phoenix (11-8), which has lost 11 of 12 in Dallas. The usually potent Suns offense has been limited to 93.1 points per game in the last seven visits.

The most recent one saw the Mavericks clinch a playoff berth behind, guess who -- Ellis. He scored 37 in a 101-98 win April 12 that sent Dallas to the postseason and dealt a major blow to the chances of Phoenix, which would get eliminated two days later.

Coach Jeff Hornacek's team has had an up-and-down season, exemplified by its last two games. The Suns are the only team to lose to Orlando in the past two weeks, falling 93-90 at home Sunday, but they bounced back Tuesday to roll past Indiana 116-99.

"It was a big talk for us all the last two days of having that enthusiasm," Hornacek said, "having that energy. ... and I think these guys took it to heart."

Tuesday's win featured Goran Dragic breaking out for 34 points -- 12 better than his previous season high -- as he hit 11 of 15 from the field with five 3-pointers.

"Sometimes I think too much, that puts pressure on me," Dragic said. "... The last few games I said I'm not gonna think anymore, I'm just gonna go there and play and I think that sort of helped me out."

It also may have helped that backup point guard Isaiah Thomas wasn't cutting into his minutes. Third in the league among bench players with 15.5 points per game, Thomas has missed the past four with an ankle injury but could return Friday.

Eric Bledsoe also has seen increased playing time with Thomas out and had a season-high 27 points Tuesday. He averaged 27.0 in two matchups with the Mavs last season.

Dallas, averaging a league-leading 110.2 points, is 15-0 when scoring more than 100. Phoenix is 7-1 when holding teams below the century mark.

[CGM]

The Sun doesn't shine in Dallas tonight:

Mavs - 110
Sons - 95

[dirt_dobber]

Mavs favored by +5.5 and the o/u is 216 - should be fun!

Wonder if we roll with 3 point guards on the court tonight at times.

[tsar]

Just a random thought. What's Feltons status?

[Underdog]

Originally Posted by tsar

Just a random thought. What's Feltons status?

Is this a setup for a fat joke?

[DavidDaMonkey]

Originally Posted by Underdog

Is this a setup for a fat joke?

Only in the sense that Raymond Felton is a setup for a fat joke.

[sefant77]

Go Undererica!

[Skywalker]

suck the funs?

[yahyes]

I say they get pesky toward Dragic. Make him uncomfortable. Plus guard the perimeter.

[DevinHarriswillstart]

Holy shit the defense has been terrible. Monta and Dirk need to focus on that end as much as anyone.

[ffballer]

Originally Posted by Underdog

Is this a setup for a fat joke?

[ffballer]

i swear this is the last one lol

[ffballer]

ok.. what the fuck is going on wake up guys! we're trailing by fourteen!!!

[EricaLubarsky]

-17.

Sorry guys. This one was my fault.

[yahyes]

Need to stop making it easy for Dragic!

[ffballer]

gotta grind on defense or we're done, way to many open 3s

[CanadianMavsFan]

Mavs look poised to allow a 40+ point first here. Brutal start.

[ffballer]

i dont get it, what happend to the ball movement we saw on the first ten games

[Jproxursoxoff]

Sigh... I already miss playing Eastern Conference teams.

[EricaLubarsky]

We're getting our asses kicked hard.

[ffballer]

this is the worst defense i've seen on the season.. just simply awful

[ffballer]

i'd love to have dragic playing for us

[GhostFace]

Good Lord almighty, what is this that I have walked into.

[ffballer]

so fucking pissed off, we cant defend the fucking perimeter WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON!!!

[ffballer]

WE GOT 24 FUCKING POINTS FROM THE 3 POINT LINE!!!

[CanadianMavsFan]

Suns shooting 8-10 from three. Ridiculous.

[ffballer]

I dont get it why he keeps playing jefferson so much, throw aminu or jae to the court instead rick jesus

[EricaLubarsky]

It's not arrogant at all to call yourself 'the dragon"

[EricaLubarsky]

we have all the offense we want. We just have no D.

[EricaLubarsky]

Jesus we can't defend anything.

[ffballer]

this is painful to watch man, this is basketball 101 attack the rim pass the rock

[EricaLubarsky]

77% from three this half.

[EricaLubarsky]

Suns just beat their prior record of 68 in a half.

[ffballer]

we better get our shit together and start defending on the 3rd or we're doomed, if it wasnt for monta it would be an epic blowout

[GhostFace]

Damn, the stream crashes right as Monta caught the ball.

[DNowitzki41mavs]

monta is keeping us in the game

[GhostFace]

Friggin Mav's. Friday night basketball, I am staying up for this. They gotta win this game.

I have a feeling they are going to come out and beast 3rd and 4th, despite our historic terrible 3rd quarters this season.

[ffballer]

if could contest those damn 3 point shoots, we would be up by now

[ffballer]

my only hope is they cant keep on shooting this good from behind the arc

[Underdog]

Well, that first half certainly wasn't great...