Mavericks @ Suns Wednesday game thread 12-23-2020 (Season Opener)

[Mainstreet]

Season opener tomorrow!

The Suns and Mavericks open their seasons in Phoenix on Wednesday, 12-23-2020.

Game time is 8:30 p.m. Arizona time.

The game will be televised on FSAZ and nationally on ESPN.

Time to get fired up. Go Suns.

 

[Mainstreet]

Abdel Nader will miss the game tomorrow.

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[leclerc]

Luka you stink! Go Suns!

 

[Mainstreet]

Frank Kaminsky is back this season after being waived by the Kings.

It's uncertain when he will be available because of NBA health and safety protocols.

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[Mainstreet]

Here is the injury report for tonight's game. Chris Paul is probable. Yea for that.

Kaminsky, Nader and Saric are out.

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[Mainstreet]

Merry Christmas Cameron Payne. The Suns are going to need you.

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[Ronin]

Time to fire up the fox sports go app.

Lets do this!

 

[WhyAlwaysMe]

As in the bubble, Payne will be the key. If he can at least keep the ship afloat when he’s the primary ball-handler that will go a long way towards success. I worry that no Saric will have significant collateral impact on the team/Payne when Booker and Paul are out.

I would like to see Jevon look to double/crash down on Luka when he starts to move into the paint. Our rotations have to be sound to protect the 3-pt line and Ayton needs to be plugged in to avoid foul trouble and guard against Powell’s rim runs.

 

[Mainstreet]

I expect the Mavericks to go to Boban off the bench to see if the Suns can guard him.

 

[WhyAlwaysMe]

Mavs will roll out

Luka
Josh Richardson
Tim Hardaway Jr.
Dorian Finney-Smith
Dwight Powell

We have to stay disciplined when rotating so that none of the wings gets open looks and to minimize Powell’s rim attacks.

I assume we will match-up with Paul on Richardson, Booker on Hardaway, Mikal on Luka, Crowder on Finney-Smith, and Ayton on Powell.

Should be a high-scoring affair. I hope Richardson tries to play more on-ball. Anything that takes the ball out of Luka’s hands is good.

 

[Chaplin]

Mavs will roll out

Luka
Josh Richardson
Tim Hardaway Jr.
Dorian Finney-Smith
Dwight Powell

We have to stay disciplined when rotating so that none of the wings gets open looks and to minimize Powell’s rim attacks.

I assume we will match-up with Paul on Richardson, Booker on Hardaway, Mikal on Luka, Crowder on Finney-Smith, and Ayton on Powell.

Should be a high-scoring affair. I hope Richardson tries to play more on-ball. Anything that takes the ball out of Luka’s hands is good.

That is not a lineup that inspires much fear IMO. Luka will get his, but who else in that group will consistently be a 2nd scorer? Hardaway maybe?

 

[WhyAlwaysMe]

I expect the Mavericks to go to Boban off the bench to see if the Suns can guard him.

He plays less than 10mpg. He’s a good player, but he doesn’t have the conditioning to do much more than that.

 

[WhyAlwaysMe]

That is not a lineup that inspires much fear IMO. Luka will get his, but who else in that group will consistently be a 2nd scorer? Hardaway maybe?

Probably Richardson. Luka is an insane engine. They had the #1 ranked offense last year, and they were even better in the games Porzingis missed.

 

[Mainstreet]

He plays less than 10mpg. He’s a good player, but he doesn’t have the conditioning to do much more than that.

Mavericks also have Cauley-Stein. If Ayton gets in foul trouble expect the Mavericks to try to punish the Suns inside and open up their shooters.

 

[WhyAlwaysMe]

Mavericks also have Cauley-Stein. If Ayton gets in foul trouble expect the Mavericks to try to punish the Suns inside and open up their shooters.

I suspect Luka and Powell pnr will feature prominently. Ayton needs to not bite on Luka’s fakes and just let him shoot. A made jumper for Luka is much less damaging than a foul on DA.

 

[Mainstreet]

Chris Paul says he is ready to go.

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[Bada0Bing]

Season opener tomorrow!

The Suns and Mavericks open their seasons in Phoenix on Wednesday, 12-23-2020.

Game time is 8:30 p.m. Arizona time.

The game will be televised on FSAZ and nationally on ESPN.

Time to get fired up. Go Suns.

I'm a bit paranoid, so just to confirm, as long as I have ESPN it won't be blacked out here in Phoenix, correct?

 

[CardsSunsDbacks]

I'm a bit paranoid, so just to confirm, as long as I have ESPN it won't be blacked out here in Phoenix, correct?

I had to use a VPN to watch the preseason game on ESPN in Tucson. Otherwise it was blacked out.

 

[Mainstreet]

I'm a bit paranoid, so just to confirm, as long as I have ESPN it won't be blacked out here in Phoenix, correct?

I'm relying on FSAZ on DirecTV to get the game. I didn't think nationally televised games were blacked out locally.

The whole idea of blacking out games when there can't be fans seems like a dumb idea.

Good luck with the game. If nothing else, maybe you can find a stream.

 

[Mainstreet]

Mikal Bridges says he looks to the Suns bench for extra energy.

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[Mainstreet]

The link below seems to indicate blacked out games are available on national television.

You should be able to view games that are blacked out on NBA League Pass on a regional sports network in your area or a national TV network such as NBA TV, TNT, ESPN, ABC, Sportsnet or TSN.

https://support.watch.nba.com/hc/en-us/articles/115002481154-Blackouts

 

[Bada0Bing]

I'm relying on FSAZ on DirecTV to get the game. I didn't think nationally televised games were blacked out locally.

The whole idea of blacking out games when there can't be fans seems like a dumb idea.

Good luck with the game. If nothing else, maybe you can find a stream.

Thanks. They pushed me to the streams for the preseason. I'm happy to pay for the games if they would just give me the option (without signing up for an entire cable service that I don't want).

 

[Cheesebeef]

Opening night! Excited!

 

[Yuma]

Pace yourselves guys, it's a LATE game!!!

 

[ArizonaSportsFan]

Only 6 more hours....

 

[GatorAZ]

Pace yourselves guys, it's a LATE game!!!

I couldn’t care less about being on national tv and these 8:40 starts are brutal. Luckily they don’t play tomorrow.