The Dallas Mavericks fell to a tough 102-108 loss against inter-state rivals, the Houston Rockets in both franchises’ fifth game of the season. They’re both sitting with 3-2 records to open the season, as the Mavericks hope to quickly rise into establishing themselves as contenders while the Rockets are proving they’ve taken a step up after their 11th-seed finish last season to be a Playoff threat.
The Rockets rode a team performance to the win, with six players scoring in double-digits. They were led by Jalen Green’s 23 points (9-21 FG) and 12 rebounds, while Alperen Sengun had 17 points (5-16 FG) and 12 rebounds of his own. Dillon Brooks also scored 17 points (6-15 FG) while Tari Eason scored 15 points (6-10 FG) off the bench.
The Mavericks were trailing by over 20 points in the game but made it interesting in the fourth quarter led by their mercurial duo. Kyrie Irving had 28 points (10-20 FG), eight rebounds, and seven assists meanwhile Luka Doncic had 29 points (12-25 FG) in another poor showing where he took too long to come alive. The only other Maverick to score in double-digits was Klay Thompson with 12 points (5-13 FG).
Here are three key takeaways from this contest.
Rockets’ Stat Leaders:
Jalen Green: 23 PTS, 12 REB, 4 AST, 1 STL, 1 BLK (9-21 FG, 3-8 3PT, 2-3 FT)
Alperen Sengun: 17 PTS, 12 REB, 4 AST, 1 BLK (5-16 FG, 0-1 3PT, 7-9 FT)
Dillon Brooks: 17 PTS, 4 REB, 2 AST, 1 BLK (6-15 FG, 2-9 3PT, 3-4 FT)
Tari Eason: 15 PTS, 4 REB, 2 AST, 1 BLK (6-10 FG, 3-6 3PT)
Jabari Smith Jr.: 14 PTS, 6 REB, 1 STL (5-10 FG, 1-5 3PT, 3-4 FT)
Mavericks’ Stat Leaders:
Kyrie Irving: 28 PTS, 8 REB, 7 AST (10-20 FG, 5-6 3PT, 3-3 FT)
Luka Doncic: 29 PTS, 5 REB, 2 AST, 1 STL (12-25 FG, 3-7 3PT, 2-4 FT)
Klay Thompson: 12 PTS, 1 REB, 1 AST, 1 STL (5-13 FG, 2-9 3PT)
P.J. Washington: 6 PTS, 9 REB, 1 AST, 3 STL, 3 BLK (3-6 FG, 0-2 3PT, 0-2 FT)
Rebounding Is A Major Concern For Dallas
The Mavericks and Rockets ended up being pretty well-matched for most of the game, with the Rockets going 40-97 from the field (41.2%) and 8-34 from three (23.5%) while the Mavericks went 39-85 from the field (45.9%) and 10-30 from three (33.3%). The biggest difference between the teams came with one specific stat: rebounding.
The Mavericks grabbed just 36 rebounds in this contest, a poor rebounding rate for a franchise whose players were extremely active on the glass last season. The Rockets grabbed 50 rebounds, with a whopping 18 of them coming as offensive boards. Their relentless pace and effort allowed them to keep control of the game, especially with crucial rebounds in the fourth quarter.
Alperen Sengun (17 PTS, 12 REB) outplayed the Mavericks center duo of Dereck Lively II and Daniel Gafford, which is key for teams to do when they face the Mavs due to how potent their centers can be.
The Mavericks are taking pride in maintaining their solidity as a defensive roster, but they can’t afford to lose games due to a lack of effort. Their efforts on the glass were minimal and gave the Rockets the margin they needed to pull this win off.
The Mavericks Need More Bench Production
A trend that can be spotted in recent games with the Mavericks continued tonight, as the franchise struggled to score when either Doncic or Kyrie Irving were on the bench. With the Rockets’ aggressive perimeter defense denying a lot of playmaking opportunities, the Mavericks were left searching for bench production in a game where it wasn’t going to happen.
The Mavs scored 21 points off the bench across seven rotational players, with the highest-scorer being Dereck Lively II with six points. The Rockets scored 33 points with their bench unit, led by 15 points from two-way forward Tari Eason, who helped Houston pull the win off.
Jaden Hardy and Spencer Dinwiddie are self-creating scorers on the Mavericks bench but both combined to go 1-8 from the field on a poor night. With Doncic being held to just two assists, the mercurial point guard couldn’t raise the level of his off-ball rotational players such as Quentin Grimes and Naji Marshall.
They have to make that a priority going forward to ensure they create the margin they need to pull off close wins like the one they could have had tonight.
Luka Doncic Still Afflicted With Inefficient Play
Luka Doncic is having his worst start to a season in the NBA since his rookie year, putting up another unimpressive and inefficient offensive performance in a 29-point outing. Doncic’s playmaking impact seemed next to nonexistent while his shot selection continued to be erratic and random. Doncic is shooting 38.7% from the field on the season, easily the worst mark of his NBA career.
Doncic proves his value in the clutch by making shots he was missing the entire game, but tonight he couldn’t help the Mavs overcome a 20-point deficit with his offensive brilliance, mainly because his offense couldn’t get going. The Rockets’ defense stifled Doncic, who was hoping to prove his status as an MVP candidate this season.
It’d be foolish to imagine Doncic has slumped offensively to a point where his impact will be affected going forward, so it’s a question of how much longer before he finds his rhythm again. The Mavs being 3-2 right now is fine, but as the season goes on, they can’t afford to have Doncic play with such inefficiency.
He’s averaging 27.2 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 6.0 assists this season.
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