The Houston Rockets did their best against the Dallas Mavericks. The young squad was counted out by many in the playoff race after being 27-35. Then, out of nowhere, they got hot with an 11-game winning streak. A few losses after the win streak affected their odds, but they were still mathematically in it before Sunday’s game against the Dallas Mavericks.
Houston Rockets vs Dallas Mavericks Recap
Houston once had a 22-point lead on the Dallas Mavericks in the game. It would appear that their playoff hopes would remain safe for another day. Then, Kyrie had something to say about that.
The dribbling wizard led his team to a monstrous comeback by contributing 48 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 assists. However, it wasn’t Kyrie himself that saved the day for the Mavericks. Rockets power forward Jabari Smith Jr. missed a crucial free throw that gave the Mavericks a chance to tie the game. Dante Exum went on to hit the game-tying shot to tie the game at 129-129.
Houston ran out of gas in overtime as Dallas outscored them 18-7 in the extra game period. With that win Sunday, the Mavericks locked in their playoff spot while simultaneously eliminating their rivals, the Houston Rockets.
Although the seeding has yet to be determined, we now know the ten Western Conference teams in the playoffs: the Denver Nuggets, Oklahoma City Thunder, Golden State Warriors, New Orleans Pelicans, Dallas Mavericks, Minnesota Timberwolves, Phoenix Suns, Los Angeles Lakers, and Sacramento Kings.
Houston Should Hold Their Head High
The Houston Rockets should not be disappointed in this season. Sure missing the playoffs/play-in this late into the season sucks, but their late playoff push shows promise in this young team. Many wrote off Houston as a team rebuilding early in the season. They were criticized for their players talking trash and their record not backing up their trash talk.
They have a promising twin-tower duo in Alperen Sengun and Jabari Smith Jr., who can be great for the team for years to come. Dillon Brooks is a promising 3 & D player who’s still improving his consistency on both sides of the ball. Jalen Green started to play out of his mind in the second half of the season, which sparked the Rockets’ 11-game win streak. They should focus on maybe acquiring a veteran in the offseason to be a mentor the young players.
What’s Next For The Mavericks?
A few days ago, the Mavericks were 8th in the Western Conference. After their win against Houston, they’re currently 5th in the Western Conference seeding. The highest possible seeding they can get is the 4th seed, as they’re only three games out of the Clippers‘ 4th seed. The lowest seed they can possibly get is the 9th or the 10th seed.
It’s possible that Luka Doncic can obtain the league MVP this season. He currently averages close to 34 points, 9 rebounds, and 10 assists per game. The tandem of Luka and Kyrie looks much better this season than last season. The main issue between the two players was that they were both ball-dominant players. So when the Mavericks needed someone to lead comebacks, they couldn’t lead successful comebacks as they thought the other respective player would lead a comeback. They figured out the kinks in their chemistry. Hopefully for Mavs fans, they figure out their defensive issues.