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The Dallas Mavericks opened their Western Conference Semifinals bid with a 121-114 defeat to the Phoenix Suns in Game 1 of the series. A strong start to the tilt allowed Monty Williams' squad to maintain a comfortable cushion against the Mavs for the remainder of the game.
Luka Doncic had another stellar outing for Dallas though it wasn't enough to lead his team to victory despite being able to trim the margin a bit in the fourth quarter. Matching up against a strong team like the Suns, the Mavericks will definitely need a total team effort to put the odds back in their favor and finally grab a much-needed win come Game 2.
With that said, here are four bold predictions for the Mavs in Game 2 against the Suns.
4 bold predictions for the Mavericks in Game 2 vs Suns
4. Jalen Brunson will bounce back and score at least 20 points in their next outing.
Jalen Brunson had a stellar performance in their opening-round matchup against the Utah Jazz. He stepped up and became the primary option for the Mavs when Luka Doncic was out for the first three games of the series due to a calf strain. Brunson's best performance came when he put up a 41-point outing in Game 2 and managed to maintain a solid level of production even when Doncic came back in Game 4.
However, in their first tilt against the Suns, the Villanova product was only limited to 13 points, four rebounds, and three assists in 31 minutes played. It was certainly not enough for the Mavericks as they needed more production from Doncic's supporting cast, especially from him in order to keep up with a strong team like the Suns.
Throughout his career, Brunson has already proved that he can put up solid numbers on a regular basis and his performance in Game 1 against Phoenix may just be the case of an off night for him on the floor. He is expected to bounce back and score at least 20 points in Game 2 to support Doncic and provide a lift on the offensive end for the Mavs.
3. Dallas will shoot the ball better in Game 2.
The Mavericks are known to heavily rely on jumpers and three-point shots during the regular season due to their lack of a solid inside presence down low. They managed to shoot a respectable 41.0% from beyond the arc as compared to the Suns' 39.3% in Game 1 of the series. However, Dallas still fell behind in terms of field goal shooting after making just 47.1% of their shots as compared to Phoenix's 50.5%.
The Suns also had a great day at the free-throw line after draining all 18 of their attempts for a perfect shooting clip. Meanwhile, the Mavs settled with a 72.0% shooting after making just 18-of-25 of their attempts from the charity stripe.
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Falling behind in field-goal shooting and free-throw shooting can make a huge difference in a contest like Game 1 which was only decided by single digits. After losing an edge in the said departments, the Mavericks should definitely shoot better from various spots on the floor and make the majority of their attempts in order to keep in step with the Suns' offense in Game 2.
2. Luka Doncic will score at least 35 points for the Mavericks.
Ever since Luka Doncic returned from injury in Game 4 of the first round, he seemed to not skip a beat and managed to play like his usual self right from the get-go for the Mavs. The Slovenian star continued his hot streak after producing 45 points, 12 rebounds, and eight assists in 44 minutes of action in Game 1 against the Suns. In fact, Doncic etched his name in history once more for tying Michael Jordan's playoff scoring average of 33.4 points per game thus far.
It was another impressive performance from him though it still didn't result in a win as the Suns gained a 1-0 series lead over the Mavericks. Without a doubt, Doncic will have to maintain his high level of production as Dallas' top option just for the team to keep it close against a more talented Phoenix squad. The three-time All-Star is poised to score at least 35 points for the Mavericks in a bid to give his team a good chance of carving out a win against the Suns in Game 2.
1. The Mavericks will win a tightly-contested Game 2 against the Suns.
Without a doubt, it will take a herculean effort from any team to beat a loaded Suns squad that has already gained momentum at this stage of the postseason. However, it's not completely impossible for the Mavs if they manage to make the necessary adjustments heading to Game 2.
Many things have to align for Dallas, especially on the offensive end, if the team wants to put up a legitimate threat against Phoenix. The Mavericks can increase their chances of winning if Luka Doncic puts up another high-scoring outing and receives better production from his supporting cast. They also have to be more aggressive in crashing the boards and making plays for each other which they failed to do in their Game 1 loss.
If the Mavs manage to work on their errors come Game 2 then they can probably steal a game and score a narrow win over the Suns to even the series at 1 game apiece.
