Phoenix Suns vs Dallas Mavericks: Injury Report, Predicted Lineups and Starting 5s - January 20th, 2022 | NBA Season 2021-22
The Dallas Mavericks will host the Phoenix Suns at the American Airlines Center on Thursday, January 20.
Coming off a 121-107 win against the San Antonio Spurs, the Suns have now won four games on the trot. With the win, the Suns have improved to a 34-9 on the season, and hold the top spot in the West.
Meanwhile, the Mavericks are coming off a 102-98 win against the Toronto Raptors. With the victory, the Mavericks are 26-19 on the season, and are the fifth seed in the West.
Phoenix Suns Injury Report
The Phoenix Suns will have a few names in their injury report for their game on Wednesday.
A recent addition is Deandre Ayton. He missed the game against the Spurs with a right ankle sprain, and is expected to miss this one against the Mavericks, as he's recovering.
Deandre Ayton remains out for the Suns tomorrow against the Mavericks due to that right ankle sprain. No new additions to Phoenix's injury report.
Moreover, the Suns will continue to see players out of rotation as they recover from injuries. Abdel Nader continues to be sidelined as he rehabilitates from a knee injury.
Meanwhile, Frank Kaminsky and Dario Saric remain sidelined, as they are also recovering from knee injuries. Kaminsky underwent surgery earlier in the week, and will be re-evaluated in about eight weeks. Saric has been out since the first game of the 2021 NBA Finals. There is no timeline on his return yet.
Dallas Mavericks Injury Report
The Dallas Mavericks will also have a few names in their injury report for this game at home.
Maxi Kleber and Reggie Bullock were mentioned in the injury report before the Raptors game. However, both were available, with Kleber also starting the match.
The Dallas Mavericks added Sterling Brown to the injury report. He is OUT with left foot soreness.
Both Reggie Bullock and Maxi Kleber have been upgraded to PROBABLE.
However, Sterling Brown has now joined the injury report. After experiencing foot soreness, he could be questionable against the Suns on Wednesday.
Additionally, the Mavericks will continue to have Brandon Knight sidelined because of the league's health and safety protocols. Although he should have cleared quarantine by now, the guard is yet to suit up for Dallas.
The Mavericks will also see Eugene Omuruyi out of their rotation. He sustained a foot injury earlier in December. He is expected to miss 4-6 months, which potentially rules him out for the season.
Phoenix Suns vs Dallas Mavericks Predicted Lineups
Phoenix Suns
With the only major absence being Deandre Ayton, the Phoenix Suns have a fairly well-established rotation to make up for the loss of their big man.
Featuring a familiar backcourt duo of Chris Paul and Devin Booker, the Suns will see JaVale McGee step into the starting center role to fill in for Ayton. The remainder of the frontcourt should comprise Mikal Bridges at small forward and Jae Crowder at power forward.
With Crowder out of the rotation, Phoenix saw Cameron Johnson emerge as a significant contributor. He could play a key role for the Suns off the bench in this game. The Suns should also see Cameron Payne, Elfrid Payton and Landry Shamet share most of the minutes in the guard rotation.
Meanwhile, the newly acquired Bismack Biyombo has also been a great contributor for the side off the bench. Coming in for McGee, Biyombo recorded a double double in his last outing against the Spurs.
Dallas Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks could have Sterling Brown out of the main rotation. With most of their main lineup available along with a healthy Kristaps Porzingis, the Mavericks will be in relatively good shape heading into Wednesday's game.
Featuring their traditional backcourt led by Luka Doncic, Dallas recently opted to start with Jalen Brunson in the guard rotation as well. The frontcourt trio would then include Dorian Finney-Smith at small forward, Maxi Kleber at power forward and Kristaps Porzingis at center.
That may be subject to some variation, with Kleber coming off the bench and Dwight Powell moving into the starting center spot. However, the Mavericks might opt to repeat their lineup from Tuesday's game against the Raptors.
Off the bench, Dallas have some legitimate contributors in the form of Tim Hardaway Jr. and Reggie Bullock. Josh Green and Frank Ntilikina might also see a few minutes in this game on Thursday night.
Phoenix Suns vs Dallas Mavericks Predicted Starting 5s
Phoenix Suns
G - Chris Paul | G - Devin Booker | F - Mikal Bridges | F - Jae Crowder | C - JaVale McGee.
Dallas Mavericks
G - Luka Doncic | G - Jalen Brunson | F - Dorian Finney-Smith | F - Maxi Kleber | C - Kristaps Porzingis.