'It Looks Like We Don't Care' - Luka On Slumping Mavs
DALLAS - The slumping Dallas Mavericks return home to face the Phoenix Suns on a second night of a back-to-back. The Mavs suffered two embarrassing blowout losses to the Utah Jazz on Wednesday on Friday.
"There’s really not much to say,” said a dejected Luka Doncic on Friday night. “I never felt like this. We’ve got to do something, because this is not looking good. ...
"Right now it's looking like we don't care, honestly, if we win games or not."
Can Doncic and the Mavs "do something" and right the ship vs. the Suns? Phoenix has really cooled off since their hot start to the season as they’ve lost five of their last seven games. Devin Booker will be out, after missing the last three games with a strained left hamstring.
For a shot at avoiding Dallas' fifth-straight loss, the Mavs must avoid a big deficit in the first half, a nasty habit the team has formed lately.
[READ: How You Vote for Mavs as 2021 NBA All-Stars]
DONCIC VS. SUNS: In his last five games against the Suns, Doncic is averaging 30.6 points per game.
ODDS: Mavs are 2.5-point favorites. The over/under is 220.5 points.
BETTING TRENDS: The Mavericks are 2-5 against-the-spread in their last seven home games, 2-5 ATS in their last seven games playing on zero days’ rest and 2-5 ATS in their last seven games overall.
RECORDS: PHOENIX SUNS (9-8) AT DALLAS MAVERICKS (8-11)
WHEN: Saturday, January 30, 2021 at 8 pm CT
LOCATION: American Airlines Center (Dallas, TX)
TV/RADIO: Fox Sports Southwest, NBA League Pass, ESPN 103.3 FM, Univision 1270 AM
FINAL WORD Forward James Johnson after the Mavs fourth-straight loss:
“With all that craziness and wickedness going on, and players leaving and players coming back and things like this, it’s harder to get the chemistry rolling. We don’t get to go to each other’s (hotel) room, we don’t get to go hang out, (no) team dinners and things like that. And it gets difficult.”
