The Dallas Mavericks opened a five-game homestand with a game against the Houston Rockets on Thursday night. The Mavericks lost to the Rockets 108-102 at the American Airlines Center on Halloween. Dallas fell to 3-2, while Houston improved to 3-2.
Luka Doncic led the Mavericks with 29 points, five rebounds, and two assists. Kyrie Irving added 28 points, six rebounds, and eight rebounds. Klay Thompson had 12 points, one rebound, and one assist. PJ Washington scored six points and 10 rebounds.
Dallas Mavericks vs. Houston Rockets Recap
The Dallas Mavericks vs. Houston Rockets game was action-packed from start to finish. The Mavericks looked to string together three wins in a row, while the Rockets tried to win their second straight game. The Rockets’ last win against the Mavericks was a 102-93 victory on April 7, 2021, when Luka Doncic wasn’t a leader in Dallas. The Mavericks starting lineup consisted of Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving, Klay Thompson, PJ Washington, and Daniel Gafford. The Mavericks were without Maxi Kleber, who missed his third straight game due to a right hamstring strain, and Dante Exum, who underwent right wrist surgery in the offseason.
The first quarter saw back-and-forth action between the Mavericks and Rockets, including an unsuccessful challenge for an altercation. Luka Doncic’s grab-and-go was a highlight in itself. The Mavericks trailed the Rockets 34-21 at the end of the first. The second quarter saw similar action between the two teams. The Rockets maintained a double-digit lead before the Mavericks’ late surge. Cam Whitmore finished a tough bucket around the rim. Spencer Dinwiddie eventually dunked a nice alley-oop. The Mavericks trailed the Rockets 57-44 at halftime.
The third quarter was a high-scoring affair. Kyrie Irving wrapped up the third with a buzzer-beater that was ruled as a two-pointer. The Mavericks trailed the Rockets 88-72 after three quarters. The Mavericks’ fourth-quarter run was a game-changer for a bit. Naji Marshall passed the ball to Luka Doncic, who completed the play before embracing Marshall for a hug and Klay Thompson reached 2,500 career three-pointers. The Rockets reached the 100-point plateau with less than three minutes left. The Mavericks’ efforts weren’t nearly enough, as the Mavericks lost 108-102 in regulation.
Dallas Mavericks vs. Houston Rockets Highlights
The Dallas Mavericks’ home game against the Houston Rockets saw a plethora of highlight-reel plays such as Luka Doncic’s successful three-pointer in the Mavericks’ pregame practice. Doncic briefly scared the Mavericks when he injured his right leg on a drive to the rim, but there was no official diagnosis.
For the Mavericks, Dereck Lively II’s noteworthy pass to PJ Washington was noted early in the first quarter. And, for the Rockets, Reed Sheppard’s mid-range shot was a notable first-quarter moment. The Rockets selected Sheppard with the third overall pick in the first round of the 2024 NBA Draft.
In Case You Missed It
On Tuesday, the Dallas Mavericks did nothing but hold their breath after Luka Doncic limped to the locker room with an apparent right leg injury. However, Doncic returned to start the third quarter with an extra support sleeve on his right leg that covered his knee, lower thigh, and upper calf.
Tuesday’s game between the Mavericks and Minnesota Timberwolves showed that the Mavericks’ big-time closers, Doncic and Kyrie Irving, are the real deal. Doncic and Irving’s clutch baskets salvaged a Mavericks win against the Timberwolves. Though not pretty, the Mavericks’ victory was an achievement that they can build on. Aside from Doncic and Irving, Dereck Lively II shined in Tuesday’s win over the Timberwolves. Lively II kept many offensive rebounds alive to give the Mavericks second chances for points. Lively II is a center in his sophomore season but has had nine-plus rebounds in three of the Mavericks’ first four games.
Timberwolves Shooting Guard Anthony Edwards acknowledged the Timberwolves’ main issue against the Mavericks. Edwards, told the media, “Yeah, for sure ’cause it’s nothing like where we, the coach is like f—, what we gotta do … It’s on us. You know what I mean? Especially myself. I’m big as hell. I gotta be able to box them bigs out. Them motherf——, they do a good job of getting those offensive rebounds. Man, I gotta figure it out. Maybe I gotta ask Rudy (Gobert) what I need to do.”
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