Two of the most explosive guards in the NBA are set to clash once more, as Luka Doncic’s Mavericks visit Donovan Mitchell’s Cavaliers, this time at the Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse.
This is the second night of the Cavs’ six-game home stand, while this is the beginning of the Mavs’ four-match road trip before their much-awaited Christmas meeting against the Lakers in Los Angeles.
Over at Arizona, two of the top teams in the West – the Pelicans and the Suns – square off for the fourth and final time this season.
Other than these two games, the Clippers, Spurs, Rockets, Bucks, and the Thunder are slated to host the Wizards, Heat, Blazers, Jazz, and Grizzlies respectively.
It’s going to be another busy day, so read on below as SBOTOP previews the top three (out of seven) games to watch tomorrow.
Dallas Mavericks @ Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cavaliers plan to extend their win streak to three games when they face the Mavericks again. On Thursday, these two clubs met and it was Cleveland who secured a 105-90 victory on the road.
Donovan Mitchell remains spectacular for Cleveland. After a two-game absence due to a sore lower leg, he is averaging 34.3 points while shooting an astounding 52-per cent from three-point land and 57-per cent from the field overall.
Mitchell and Darius Garland’s chemistry continues to improve, while Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley are holding it down at frontcourt. They’ve been one of the best home teams this season with a 13-2 record.
After losing to the Cavaliers, the Mavericks bounced back with a 130-110 rout against the Blazers on Friday. Luka Doncic and Christian Wood combined for 65 points and 18 rebounds while shooting 22-for-35 from the field.
Like Mitchell, Doncic has been imposing his will too, averaging 33.7 points while shooting 49-per cent from the field. He’s also tallying 7.7 assists and 7.3 rebounds per game.
It’s been an up-and-down December for the Mavs so far as they’ve slumped to the ninth seed in the West standings with a 15-14 record, while the Cavs are sitting comfortable in the East standings with a 19-11 slate.
Portland Blazers @ Houston Rockets
The Rockets currently own the worst win-loss card in the West standings at 9-19, although it means that they own one of the highest NBA 2022 odds in the draft lottery next year.
Houston are not expected to do much this season since they’re a young squad. But winning games helps their development in the long-term, so they’ll be looking to get one tomorrow against the Blazers at home.
After surprisingly beating the Bucks and the Suns earlier this week, the Rockets suffered a close loss to the Heat as Tyler Herro waxed hot from deep, knocking down 10 triples to score a career-high of 41 points.
Jalen Green led the Rockets with 22 points and has reached the 20-point mark in three straight matches and five of his seven games this month, although he could use an uptick in his percentages since he’s making just 39-per cent of his attempts.
The Blazers are also coming off a loss, as mentioned a while ago against the Mavericks. But before that, they’ve won five of their last six games.
Damian Lillard has been phenomenal since returning from injury. He’s averaging 32.7 points, 6.7 assists, and 3.2 rebounds per game in his last six outings.
New Orleans Pelicans @ Phoenix Suns
The Pelicans and the Suns are turning into an interesting rivalry. Prior to tomorrow, they’ve met three times, with the Pelicans winning twice and the Suns winning the other one.
Zion Williamson torched Phoenix in their last two meetings, scoring 35 in each of those games while ruffling some feathers in the process.
In their 128-117 loss last Saturday, Williamson did a 360-degree, one-handed slam dunk late that angered the Suns, although he reiterated that he meant no disrespect since he was simply giving the fans their dose of NBA 2022 highlights.
Two days later, the Suns did slightly better as the game went to OT, but the 2021 finalists didn’t have enough left in the tank as Chris Paul and Deandre Ayton fouled out. New Orleans won 129-124.
Devin Booker was unavailable in the third Pelicans meeting as well as in their 111-97 defeat to the Rockets on Tuesday. His return inspired the Suns in their 111-95 victory over the Clippers on Thursday.
Booker only tacked 14 points on 6-for-22 shooting, but the Suns aren’t too concerned since he’ll regain his form soon.
Betting Tip: Phoenix Suns Asian Handicap -3.50 @ 1.93
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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