Preview: Suns Return From Break vs Mavericks

PHOENIX -- The Phoenix Suns (33-22) are returning from a week-long break with a game against the Dallas Mavericks (32-23) this evening in Dallas.

The Suns have notably posted a 19-7 mark since starting the season with a modest 14-15 record after a loss to the Mavericks on Christmas.

The Mavericks return Kyrie Irving to the lineup after him missing the last time the two teams met up on January 24, while Bradley Beal looks to make his return to the lineup from a mild hamstring tweak.

Thaddeus Young also is likely to make his Suns debut after signing with the franchise on Tuesday.

Three storylines to watch going into the contest:

Season-Defining Implications

The Suns and Mavericks both have a lot riding on this game.

Whichever team wins this game will take the season series and thus the tiebreaker if it were to be needed at season's end when determining postseason positioning.

The Suns currently own a one-game lead over Dallas and sit at the five seed - and a loss could push them into play-in territory.

Phoenix isn't only trying to climb up the standings, they are also trying to stave off stiff competition behind them - particularly Dallas, the New Orleans Pelicans, and the Sacramento Kings.

The Mavericks are also looking to climb up the standings after getting hot at the right time after a stagnant January.

This game will almost certainly serve as a proverbial playoff-intensity matchup, and a game of this magnitude being played in February is exactly what the NBA wants.

Role Players Might Decide Game

Devin Booker, Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and Luka Doncic are obviously game-changing stars that can swing any given game a certain way.

The role players on both sides might be what swings this game a certain way, however.

The Mavericks have seemed to have found two strong fits alongside Derek Lively in the big rotation in P.J. Washington and Daniel Gafford.

Dallas also possesses a top-shelf sixth man of the year candidate in Tim Hardaway Jr.

The Suns on the other hand have clearly doe a great job of finding great fits on more than one front - from a wing rotation built around Eric Gordon-Grayson Allen-Royce O'Neale to the rock solid presence of Jusuf Nurkic inside.

Both squads have quite strong supporting casts, but which one will rise to the occasion tonight?

Key Matchup: Suns Bigs vs Mavs Bigs

The Mavericks' newfound big man trio has done wonders for the fortunes of this team - for the moment at least, and possibly moving forward.

All three bigs bring something different to the table and complement Doncic quite well.

The aforementioned Nurkic has been a pleasant surprise on the defensive end and has drastically improved as a play finisher.

Drew Eubanks has played better basketball of late. Bol Bol and Young both can and will bring jolts of energy to the squad in different ways.

Suns-Mavs are set to tip off shortly after 5:30 PM Arizona time tonight and will be broadcast on TNT.