Fratello Telestrator
Gameday Dish: Mavericks vs. Suns
The Dallas Mavericks travel to Phoenix tonight to take on the Suns. One of the more interesting subplots in this evening’s contest is a first-of-its-kind fan promotion cooked up by Phoenix team president Jason Rowley to boost ticket sales.
If the fans aren’t completely satisfied with their experience tonight they get their money back.
The Suns (7-12) just returned from a six-game road trip in which they went 1-5, losing their last four in a row.
They played on Tuesday night in Memphis and took a tough Grizzlies squad to overtime before succumbing 108-98.
The Suns were led by PG Goran Dragic and F Luis Scola. Dragic had 19 points and 7 dimes, while Scola went for 16 points, 8 boards and 3 steals.
Phoenix has the difficult task of trying to rebuild after losing Hall-of-Fame PG Steve Nash. They’ve added nine new players to their young roster this season, and head coach Alvin Gentry is still trying to figure out which five guys deserve to start night in and night out.
Dragic has done a solid job running Phoenix’s offense. But the Suns have been struggling with team defense, allowing 102.9 ppg, which ranks dead last at 30th in the league.
Meanwhile the Mavericks (8-10) have dropped 4 of their last 5 including last night’s loss in Los Angeles, where they got steamrolled by the Clippers, 112-90, and committed a season high-tying 22 turnovers.
One of the few bright spots for coach Rick Carlisle was the play of newly signed veteran PG Derek Fisher. In his second game with Dallas, D-Fish scored 15 points and went 3 of 5 from behind the arc.
With team leader Dirk Nowitzki still out after having knee surgery, the Mavs need someone to step up and provide vocal leadership while steadying the team for the long haul of 64 more games this season.
Tune in to TNT tonight at 10:30 PM ET to see if the Phoenix Suns put on a show for the home crowd and earn a win that will go a long way towards guaranteeing their fans a good time.
From the Booth
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Czar Trivia

Dick Van Ardsdale #5 of the Phoenix Suns moves the ball during a game played in 1968 in Phoenix, Arizona.