Crowder of the Suns has been appointed as the Gila River Ambassador as Phoenix aims to bounce back in Game 3.

On Monday, Jae Crowder from the Phoenix Suns became the first athlete to make history in the realm of sports betting advertising in Arizona.

Crowder and his Suns teammates found themselves in a new and unfamiliar situation on the basketball court on Tuesday, at least for this season.

Crowder has been selected as the brand ambassador for Gila River Resorts & Casinos, marking the inaugural partnership between Gila River and a professional athlete. This collaboration comes at an ideal time, with Phoenix in a strong position to clinch their first NBA championship and Crowder playing a crucial role on the dominant team during the regular season.

Despite being favored by 9.5 points, the Suns’ dominance in NBA betting was challenged on Tuesday as they lost to New Orleans 125-114 in Game 2 of their first-round playoff series at the Footprint Center.

The series is currently even at 1-1, and the Suns are beginning to show weaknesses as the action shifts to New Orleans. Game 3 is scheduled for Friday at 6:30 p.m. on ESPN, with Game 4 following on Sunday at 6:30 p.m. on TNT.

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Further details about Crowder’s agreement with Gila River

Gila River operates three casinos in the Phoenix area – Wild Horse Pass, Lone Butte, and Vee Quiva – with plans to debut a fourth casino by the end of the year.

The company announced in a press release that they were impressed by Crowder’s competitive nature. It was also noted that Crowder is the proud owner of the clothing brand Bossman.

Dominic Orozco, the president and chief marketing officer of Gila River Resorts & Casinos, enthusiastically announced Jae Crowder as their inaugural brand icon. Orozco praised Jae’s exceptional talent, determination, and forward-thinking approach, as well as his business manager Josh Mason. He emphasized that Gila River is marking their new resorts designation with a grand celebration alongside Jae, and they are excited to have him join the Gila River family as a valued teammate.

Crowder, a 6-foot-6 power forward from Marquette, started in all 67 games for the Suns this season. He averaged 9.4 points and 5.3 rebounds per game. Despite scoring 5 points in Tuesday’s game against the Pelicans, the Suns lost.

Crowder articulated his goal of growing in partnership with Gila River in the press release, citing their common values. As a seasoned athlete on a prominent NBA squad, he underscored the significance of building stronger ties with the communities he believes in and backs.

Crowder’s recent entry into Gila River now establishes him as a competitor to the Suns in the arena of new Arizona sports betting applications.

Gila River has teamed up with BetMGM Arizona and the Arizona Cardinals for sports betting, with BetMGM running retail sportsbooks at all three Gila River sites.

Since September, FanDuel Sportsbook Arizona, the sports betting partner of the Suns, has had a retail betting location at Footprint Center.

The Suns’ chances of winning the title decrease as the series moves to New Orleans.

The Suns’ defeat on Tuesday was further compounded by an injury to All-Star guard Devin Booker. Despite scoring 31 points in the first half, Booker was forced to leave Game 2 in the third quarter due to hamstring tightness.

Booker will likely sit out Games 3 and 4 because of a minor right hamstring injury. The Suns have not announced when he will be back on the court. Even without him, the Suns are predicted to maintain their advantage and win back home court advantage.

In Game 3, Phoenix is now favored by 1.5 points with a -120 moneyline at DraftKings Sportsbook Arizona. Initially, both teams had a +1 point spread with a -110 moneyline.

DraftKings has raised Phoenix’s NBA championship odds to +300 from the original +255 at the start of the playoffs.

The Suns have now been listed as 1.5-point favorites by Caesars Sportsbook for Game 3, after starting out as a pick-em. In addition, Caesars has raised the Suns’ odds of winning the title from +260 to +300.