Rematch set with surging Mavericks
The Rockets’ postseason hopes might be virtually over, but the Mavericks will head to Sunday’s matinee with plenty still on the line even with their playoff spot secure.
The fifth seed after Friday’s win against the Warriors, the Mavericks are just two games behind the Clippers to move up to fourth and get homecourt advantage in the first round. They are also just two games ahead of the seventh-place Pelicans and need to make sure they don’t fall back two spots to avoid having to host a play-in game.
The Rockets, who would be officially eliminated from the postseason with their next loss or the next Warriors win, had hoped that the play-in chase would build momentum heading into next season, even if they fell short of reaching the postseason. There is time for that, but with just five games remaining, no win would be more significant than a breakthrough in Dallas.
The 125-107 loss to the Mavericks on March 31 was the Rockets’ ninth in the past 11 meetings with Dallas. It ended the Rockets’ 11-game winning streak.
Instead of facing the Mavericks on a roll, the rematch comes with the Rockets carrying a fourgame losing streak, matching their longest of the season.
The Mavericks are 13-2 in their past 15 games, their best 15-game stretch since 2010-11, the season they won the NBA championship. They have outscored opponents by an average of 10.1 points in those 15 games.
Try, try again
Mavericks star Luka Doncic sat out Friday’s game against the Warriors with a sore right knee but was expected to be back in time to play the Rockets.
He is listed as questionable. He was also listed as questionable on March 31 before he played and was sensational.
The Rockets have already seen their fill of Doncic, but the game likely will at least give them a last chance this season to try to slow the league’s leading scorer.
Doncic had 47 points against the Rockets a week ago without scoring in the fourth quarter. That was just his fourth most in a game this season, but it was enough to dominate the game, end the Rockets’ winning streak and leave an impression.
He had 41 points in his other game against the Rockets this season. Between the two games he played against the Rockets, he made 33-of-59 shots and 12-of-26 3s, averaging 44 points, 10.5 rebounds and eight assists.
Averaging 33.8 points per game, Doncic has scored 36.9 points in the seven games he has played after missing a game this season. He is second in the NBA in assists, averaging 9.8. His 9.2 rebounds per game leads NBA guards. Fixing the fast break
The Rockets like to run and have scored well on the break since the AllStar break, and especially since moving to the small lineup after the injury to Alperen Şengün.
The Mavericks give up points on the break, more than just four teams this season.
But when the Rockets lost to the Mavericks in Toyota Center, they ran but did not score.
The Rockets made just 5-of-16 shots when on fast breaks, scoring 13 points. That is not a bad total, just 2.6 off their season average. But that was far too many empty possessions and wasted scoring opportunities.
Shooting slump
The Rockets’ 3-point shooting fell off badly since the winning streak, with the 34.2% shooting in the loss to the Mavericks the Rockets’ best in the past four games.
The Rockets have made just 31.2% of their 3s in the past four games.
After making 42.3% of his 3-pointers in March prior to the March 31 game against the Mavericks, Rockets guard Jalen Green made 7-of-33 3s in the past four games, averaging 18 points in those games on 37.3% shooting, though while averaging 5.5 rebounds and 5.5 assists.
Dillon Brooks had 18 points against the Heat on Friday, matching his total of the previous four games.
New guys
The Mavericks’ lineup, with trade deadline acquisitions Daniel Gafford and P.J. Washington starting with Kyrie Irving, Derrick Jones Jr. and Doncic, has gone 12-1, including the win against the Rockets last week.
Gafford and Washington in that game offered glimpses of how they had solidified the rotation, but they did not have to do more than their combined 18 points and 10 rebounds.
On Friday, with Doncic out, they had perhaps their best combined performance since the moves to Dallas. Washington had 32 points, his most with the Mavericks, with five rebounds, five steals, three assists and two blocked shots. Gafford had 10 points, 15 rebounds, five assists and three blocked shots.
With Gafford and Washington starting, the Mavericks have had rookie Dereck Lively II come off the bench in a strong second unit with Dante Exum, who had 13 points against the Rockets, and Tim Hardaway Jr., who scored nine. But Lively is out Sunday with a sprained right knee. Maxi Kleber is questionable with back spasms. Rooking returns
A week after one of the Rockets’ rookies returned from an injury against the Mavericks, they should get another back in time to face the Mavericks.
Amen Thompson is expected back for the Rockets after missing Friday’s game, the second in a back-to-back, with a sprained ankle. His importance to the Rockets since the injury to Şengün was clear during the winning streak and again when he struggled in recent games.
In the 12 games since Thompson moved into the Rockets’ starting lineup with Şengün out, Thompson averaged 14 points, 9.1 rebounds and 1.4 steals. But in the first three games of the Rockets’ losing streak, he struggled while playing with a tendon injury to a finger on his right hand. He averaged
8.3 points on 41.7% shooting in those games.
Cam Whitmore has averaged 14 points in his four games back after his injury but has made just 40.8% of his shots.