Preview: Mavs Host Suns as Rivalry Week Continues

PHOENIX -- The Phoenix Suns (25-18) pack their bags for a matchup against the Dallas Mavericks (24-19) in what will be the first of a seven-game road trip.

The Suns currently sit at the six seed in the Western Conference following a New Orleans Pelicans win on Tuesday night, while Dallas is currently the eight seed.

Bol Bol has already been ruled out for Phoenix, while Eric Gordon is going into the day listed as questionable due to wrist soreness. Dallas has a lengthy injury report themselves with Kyrie Irving, Luka Doncic, Dante Exum and Seth Curry all listed as questionable for the game.

Three things to watch for going into tonight:

Mavericks' Recent Performance

Dallas has gone 6-7 in the 13 games since their victory over the Suns on Christmas Night.

A pair of those six wins came against the Portland Trail Blazers, while the Mavericks suffered some lopsided losses at the hands of the Utah Jazz, Memphis Grizzlies, and L.A. Lakers.

The Mavericks have been playing slightly negative basketball during this stretch- possessing a -0.8 net rating.

It should be noted that Doncic missed four games during this stretch and Irving had played exceptional basketball in his absence, but something still feels off with this Dallas squad.

It appears as if the Suns and Mavs are trending in opposite directions.

Rivalry Reignited

The Suns and Mavericks are being featured on the primetime Wednesday night slot as part of the recently incorporated "rivalry week" by the NBA.

Phoenix and Dallas had some back-and-forth moments in the early 2000's - including star PG Steve Nash departing Dallas to return to Phoenix - but the flames of a potential rivalry weren't fanned until the 2022 Western Conference Semifinals.

The string of success that Phoenix had over Dallas from 2019 to that series was undone when Doncic lead the Mavericks to a stunning seven-game series victory over the heavily favored Suns, who won 64 games in the regular season.

Every matchup the two teams have had since the series have featured playoff-level intensity and there's a clear level of dislike coming from each side.

This will be the second of three times the two teams face off, as they are set to play for the final time in the regular season on Feb. 22.

Here's to hoping Doncic and Irving are both good to go so basketball fans can get the Booker/Doncic and Durant/Irving matchups that come with much fanfare.

Player to Watch: Dereck Lively II

Lively has been a pleasant surprise and welcome development for a Mavericks team that lacks foundational young talent outside of Doncic.

The 12th pick in the 2023 draft was expected to come along slowly, but the inability to consistently rely on Dwight Powell and Richaun Holmes fast-tracked Lively's timeline.

The decision to make him a regular in the starting lineup has been a wise one.

Lively's averages of 8.8 PPG, 7.8 RPG, and 1.4 BPG may be modest, but his impact has far outweighed the raw statistical output.

The Duke product has been one of the best roll-men and play finishers in the NBA- finishing a ridiculous 74% of field goal attempts.

Lively's defense has also been a pleasant surprise, as his anchoring has been a rare bright spot in an otherwise disappointing Dallas defense this season.

Phoenix and Dallas are set to tip off shortly after 6:30 Arizona time and will be broadcast nationally on ABC.