Between two of the fittest teams of the moment, Dallas and Houston, the match starts very strong. Luka Doncic quickly gets into action, picking up his first points near the circle. But it is Houston who starts better with Jabari Smith Jr. who hits a 3-pointer in the corner and Jalen Green who gains height on the layup. Dallas is gradually coming back to level, while Doncic is heating up from afar. He made a very clean 5/7 3-pointers in the first quarter, including a lucky shot with the board, for 22 points in the first quarter… only two points less than the entire Houston team (36-24 ).
Put into orbit by a stellar Luka, the Mavs race in the lead but the Rockets are still active, with Green placing a masterful dunk on the baseline, and perfectly serving Thompson for a two-handed dunk in traffic. Doncic returns to the game and appears to have retained his hot hand. He even crucifies Dillon Brooks on a backwards shot, no longer the fault. At 32 points at halftime, Doncic shelters his Mavs (66-45). Not to spoil anything, Dante Exum is 11 points at 4/4 on shots.
When it's not one, it's the other
The break has still not cooled Doncic who reopens the ball with a new arrow. On another planet, the Mavs back even allows himself a spoon shot after having exhausted his range of feints, and it still hits! Untenable one-on-one, Doncic mystifies each of the defenders facing him, including poor Landale who no longer knows which way to turn. With 15 more points in his total, Doncic reaches 47 pawns and the Rockets still lag behind (91-73).
The Mavs' plan went smoothly until the final quarter. With Doncic on the bench, it was Irving who took over, with two 3-point shots in quick succession to further knock out the young Rockets, and 15 points in the last quarter. And when the latter come to trap Irving, it is Gafford who inherits the leather for a huge dunk. Despite the efforts of Smith Jr. and Holiday who combined for 23 points in the last quarter, Houston lost and therefore saw its streak of 11 consecutive victories broken. Conversely, the Mavs recorded a seventh success in a row (125-107).
WHAT YOU MUST REMEMBER
– Doncic as boss. Author of 22 points in the first quarter (almost as many as the entire opposing team), then 10 in the second and finally 15 in the third, Luka Doncic has been firing on all cylinders against the Rockets in fusion lately. Never the last to thread the baskets like pearls, Doncic delivered an anthology performance, making fun of the Texan defense to make an impression. “When we talk about the best player in the world, knowing that we are at the end of the season, and that we were on a road trip, he took charge of the match and showed why he was one of the best players in the world. planet”, savored Coach Kidd.
– Dallas had the hot hand. Buoyed by Doncic's monstrous performance, the Mavs nevertheless played the game to perfection, notably finishing with 24 successful 3-point shots, a season record, on 47 attempts, an excellent 51% success rate. Besides Doncic at 9/16, or Irving at 4/9, Dallas was able to count on Exum at 3/3 or Tim Hardaway Jr. at 3/6. “We were aggressive. When they were changing, Kyrie and I attacked. All the other guys were open and we were able to get our shots in.”, confirmed Doncic. They are back tied with New Orleans for 5th place in the West.
– A setback for Houston. With eleven victories in a row, the Rockets were not unworthy in this summit match against a regional rival. Jabari Smith Jr. (28 points, 7 rebounds) was exemplary all evening. But, overall, Houston lacked ammunition in attack, while Jalen Green was only 5/15 on target, Dillon Brooks finished 0/8 on shots including 0/7 on 3-pointers and Fred VanVleet struggled to reach ten. “We didn’t play at our best level,” Udoka concludes. “It’s only one game but we have to get back to what we were doing. »
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How to read the stats? Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; O = offensive rebound; D=defensive rebound; T = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; +/- = Point differential when the player is on the field; Pts = Points; Eval: player evaluation calculated from positive actions – negative actions.
