The last game of the Christmas Day slate will feature one of the newer rivalries: the Phoenix Suns vs. the Dallas Mavericks. This Western Conference showdown, notably between stars Luka Doncic and Devin Booker, has intensified since the 2022 NBA playoffs. The tension escalated during the Western Conference Semi-Finals, where Doncic and Co. stunned the top-seeded Suns in a gripping seven-game series. However, the Game 7 (123-90) blowout victory left the Suns with a bitter aftertaste. The emotions have been high in every subsequent matchup since the conference semi-final loss.

However, as the two rivals gear up to duke it out once again, let’s take a closer look at the injury report, predicted starting lineups, and more.

Phoenix Suns vs. Dallas Mavericks: Injuries and Starting lineups

When the Suns added Bradley Beal, no one would’ve guessed that offense would be even a concern for the team, let alone one of the biggest. However, going for injury-prone veteran players did not serve the Valley of Suns right. Bradley Beal’s return was short-lived, as he is once again sidelined after twisting his ankle in Phoenix’s loss to New York on December 15.

In addition to Beal, center Jusuf Nurkic (personal), Josh Okogie (hip), and Damion Lee (knee) are all ruled out for the Christmas Day clash. Furthermore, Yuta Watanabe (right finger sprain) and Eric Gordon (hip) are listed as game-time decisions.

Despite being severely shorthanded, the Suns’ current roster is still better than Dallas. Injuries have been a cause for concern for the Mavericks as well, which became abundantly clear in their 2-4 record over the last six games. For tonight’s matchup, they’ll once again miss the services of Dereck Lively II (ankle), Kyrie Irving (heel), Josh Green (elbow) and Maxi Kleber (heel).

Therefore, the Suns’ predicted starting lineup might feature – Devin Booker, Grayson Allen, Eric Gordon, Kevin Durant, and Drew Eubanks. On the other side of the court, the Mavericks might start with – Luka Dončić, Tim Hardaway Jr., Derrick Jones Jr., Grant Williams, and Markieff Morris.

Suns vs. Mavericks: Prediction

Surprisingly, as per the Sportsbookwire oddsmakers, the Mavericks will enter tonight’s clash as the underdogs with a money line of +161. The Phoenix are -4.5 favorites with a money line of -196 to win today. The Suns have a 66.2% implied win probability according to the money line, while Dallas has an implied victory probability of 38.3%.

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However, despite the bookmakers favoring the Suns, the Mavericks might take the win home tonight if they ramp up the pace and hit more threes since the Suns allow the ninth-fewest three-pointers made to opponents. Luka Doncic is coming off a triple-double in Saturday’s win over the Spurs and will hope to continue the momentum tonight. However, the Mavericks will have their work cut out in the absence of their best defenders.

The game is scheduled for 10:40 PM EST at the Talking Stick Resort Arena, Phoenix. Do you think Phoenix might avenge the 2022 Western Conference Semi-Finals loss? Let us know in the comments!

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