Game Day: Suns (16-7) @ Mavericks (11-11), Mon 12/5/22

[djy2j]

Landry can't even make a wide open layup in garbage time. Like GTFO.

[Flagrant Fowl]

I'm not going to overreact to this game because a lot of things were against the Suns.

The Mavs really aren't very good right now so it's a bad loss, but the sky isn't falling.

[The Bobster]

You would think the Suns would come out with blood in their eye, but they came out and got their asses kicked again.

[specialsauce]

D Lee is the king of giving up and1s

[Superbone]

I just finished the first half. Looks like a scheduled loss.

I don't understand why we don't double Doncic? Book gets doubled all the time by every team including Dallas but we don't double Doncic?

[specialsauce]

I know Landry is a good guy, I know Monty loves him and would let him throat fuck and creampie his daughter but he’s becoming one of my least favorite Suns. I think what we traded and the contract is probably the driving force for that but I can’t help how I feel. I hate him on this team. He does nothing for us. Nothing. He can’t get traded soon enough.

He’s just absolutely awful. People say his defense is solid but I don’t see it. When I walk by a trash can it reminds me of him every day

[Vladimir_Taltos]

This one is like a giant sign that says 'We suckkkkk...,' atrocious game...

[djy2j]

Not a huge deal tonight but Monty needs to figure this shit out against the Mavs.

[Uncle_Gene]

The Mavericks will be well rested as they haven't played since Thursday while the Suns will be playing the second of a back to back having destroyed the Spurs on Sunday afternoon.

They actually played early Saturday against the Knicks. But anyways defensive mistakes, poor shooting, and bad execution led to this loss. The officiating and Mavs three point shooting hurt as well.

[Uncle_Gene]

Not a huge deal tonight but Monty needs to figure this shit out against the Mavs.

Though CP3 is still out, you're absolutely right. JKidd has figured this team out.

[Split T]

Ehh, it was a bad game where we were missing 2 starters and 2 key reserves. We did beat this Dallas team opening night.

[INFORMER]

We did beat this Dallas team opening night.

I'm not sure the Suns should feel good about always spotting the Mavs a 20-point lead. That isn't a recipe for future success.

[Superbone]

Mavs just have our number suddenly. Whatever adjustments Kidd made, Monty should take notes

Yep, we dominated them last regular season. Then Kidd figured us out in the playoffs and hasn’t looked back.

[Shabazz]

I know Landry is a good guy, I know Monty loves him and would let him throat fuck and creampie his daughter but he’s becoming one of my least favorite Suns. I think what we traded and the contract is probably the driving force for that but I can’t help how I feel. I hate him on this team. He does nothing for us. Nothing. He can’t get traded soon enough.

He’s just absolutely awful. People say his defense is solid but I don’t see it. When I walk by a trash can it reminds me of him every day

In fairness to him his effort is always solid. But there's that old expression about activity and achievement.

[INFORMER]

Random thoughts:

• Good game from Ayton tonight.

• Matt Winer seemed to be more knowledgeable about what has been going on with the Suns this season than most national commentators.

• I like that Monty started Okogie in the second half. He had a solid game.

• Luka's earnest imploring of Kidd to challenge his foul on Mikal's 3-point shot was one of the more ridiculous things of the game.

• Just clueless defense from the Suns. Poor rotations; indecisive execution. Didn't seem like they had much of a plan.

Dallas is at its most beatable when you let them allow their offense to devolve into Luka pounding the ball and taking long jumpers, and the other four players pass the ball around the perimeter for contested threes. That's the Dallas offense you see against a lot of the other teams. But for some reason, the Suns allow them to move the ball outside-inside-outside and the Suns start scrambling around aimlessly. Monty needs to figure out why his team is worse than half of the rest of league in defending Dallas.

[Mori Chu]

God, what a frustrating game. Our perimeter defense was terrible. Seemed like the Mavs could get an open 3 on almost every possession if they wanted to. I have to admit that I don't really understand the sophisticated details of NBA defenses to say exactly what we were doing wrong defensively. Seemed like we'd show on a double-team, or start to rotate, or something, and then the Mavs would make a sequence of passes and we would just start scrambling to cover the next guy and the next guy until they'd find an open 3-point shooter who would swish it every time. They made 20-41 (48.8%) of their 3s and it felt like it.

The Mavs really have our number; this team is like Suns kryptonite. They have a basically endless barrage of athletic swings and wings and switchable bigs who can all drain 3s and understand how to move the ball. We have a lot of trouble against teams that can put 5 shooters on the floor. And we have trouble with really athletic teams, and against really strong teams, and against really tall/long teams. Hmm.

And we really have no answer for Luka. We try Bridges on him, but Luka is so big and fat and strong that he can kind of just bounce Mikal off him or shoot over him. God help us when we switch on a screen and suddenly somebody like Payne or Shamet is guarding Luka. Even Ayton can't really contend with his speed and lateral movement. The only guy besides Mikal who I thought did a decent job on Luka was Wainwright due to his bulk and strength, but he didn't guard him much.

Ayton put up nice numbers, but our guards struggled mightily: Book was 4-13 and Payne was 4-16 (!). Bridges was also 4-11. Saw them taking a lot of tough contested shots over a defender's hand. Maybe would have been better with a healthy CP3 to get us better looks. But I think part of it is mental, too. We are still snakebit from last year's playoff demolition. We need to have a good win against this team and purge our demons.

Box score: https://www.espn.com/nba/boxscore/_/gameId/401468513

[Uncle_Gene]

Jan 26th at home on TNT

Mar 5th in Dallas on ABC

That's the last two meetings with the Mavs on national TV.

[ShelC]

Postgame Quotes and Videos

Spoiler: show/hide

[ShelC]

Shit game, don't mind the loss but it's frustrating losing the same way to the Mavs. We're not doubling or trapping Luka to get him out of his comfort zone, we're still seeing guys like Cam and DA switched onto Luka, weren't getting out to shooters. Blame fatigue or being shorthanded or the refs not calling fouls but that doesn't change the fact that the Mavs seem to have us figured out on both ends.

[Superbone]

Yep, we need a new game plan against this Mavs team. Hopefully, they have lots of video to review and see what needs to change. I agree that we've got to start doubling Doncic and let the other guys beat us. Just don't leave them wide open.