[Basketball News]

The Phoenix Suns and Dallas Mavericks now have something more in common than having the two best records in the Western Conference. The Suns topped the Grizzlies on Monday for their 10th straight victory. Phoenix also had a franchise-record 15 game winning streak earlier this season. Dallas has also had a pair of double-digit streaks this season, winning 12 and 13 consecutive straight games.

Only five other times since the NBA absorbed the four ABA teams in 1976 have two different teams compiled winning streaks of at least 10 games in the same season. The last two teams to do it in the same campaign were the Spurs and Lakers in 2003-04.

Suns, Mavericks Join Elite Company

[Lefty Noob]

Both teams are playing fantastic ball, but which one is better right now? Which has the better shot of winning it all?

[bresilhac]

Originally Posted by Lefty Noob

Both teams are playing fantastic ball, but which one is better right now? Which has the better shot of winning it all?

I would say the Mavericks are a better team. While both teams can score like crazy it's Avery's defense that will take Dallas to the top. It's always been defense that wins in the end. High flying teams like D'Antoni's Suns will never reach the ultimate prize because they cannot make stops when it counts in the biggest of games. This happened before. Recall the 2004-05 season. The Suns had won 63 games with their high flying circus act and yet were destroyed by the eventual Champions San Antonio, a team that makes defense a priority, in the WCF. This likely won't happen to Dallas in a playoff series. Because of their ability to make stops their offense feeds off their defense. Very similar to the Spurs. If both teams are shooting a low percentage during a game they can count on solid defense to carry them through and keep them in games. Not so much with Phoenix.