Rockets defeat the Mavericks 108-102, securing their second consecutive victory.
The Houston Rockets faced an early-season challenge against their in-state rival, the Dallas Mavericks, and emerged victorious with a 108-102 win.
Houston started strong but had to fend off a Dallas comeback thanks to solid defense and rebounding. The Rockets dominated the boards, out-rebounding the Mavericks 50-37, including an 18-10 advantage on the offensive glass. Despite this, Houston’s shooting was underwhelming, as they hit just 41.2% of their shots, with only Jabari Smith Jr. hitting 50% or better. They struggled from beyond the arc, making only 8 of 34 attempts.
While Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving scored 29 and 28 points respectively for Dallas, they were the only Mavericks to score double digits, with Klay Thompson adding 12 on a poor shooting night (2-for-9 from three).
Jalen Green led the Rockets with 23 points, 12 rebounds, and 4 assists, though he shot 9-for-21 from the field and 3-for-8 from deep. Alperen Sengun contributed 17 points, 12 boards, and 4 assists but struggled with his shooting (5-for-16). Dillon Brooks matched Sengun’s 17 points but was also inefficient, going 6-for-15 from the field and 2-for-9 from three. Tari Eason added 15 points off the bench, while Jabari Smith scored 14 points and grabbed 6 rebounds, despite a tough night from three (1-for-5). Amen Thompson rounded out the scoring with 10 points on 4-for-5 shooting.
Fred VanVleet had a rough game, playing 39 minutes but only scoring 4 points on 2-for-13 shooting and failing to make a three-pointer (0-for-7). He also recorded just 4 assists, averaging 12.6 points and 5.8 assists this season on 30% shooting, raising questions about his $44 million team option.
Nevertheless, the Rockets can take pride in their back-to-back wins against Texas teams—the San Antonio Spurs and the Mavericks—both on the road. They seem to be finding their rhythm, especially defensively, and will face the Golden State Warriors next on Saturday.
