Division rivals clash, minus crucial components
The Dallas Mavericks (20-13) conclude their four-game road trip Wednesday at 7pm as they play the Houston Rockets (21-11) in a matchup of teams missing key players due to suspension. The Rockets enter this game on a two-game skid, having blown a 15-point lead Friday in losing to Minnesota 113-112, then blowing their cool Sunday as a fight broke out in the final minute of their 104-100 loss to Miami. Wing Amen Thompson, who was disciplined by the league Tuesday with a two-game ban, was the only Rockets player suspended, although guard Jalen Green, head coach Ime Udoka, and assistant coach Ben Sullivan were ejected for their involvement. In a separate incident prior to the brawl, guard Fred VanVleet was also ejected for initiating contact with an official.
The Mavericks, missing four starters, lost 110-100 to Sacramento Monday despite an 18-point early lead, and are on their own two-game losing streak following Saturday’s shorthanded loss to Portland, 126-122. In the Mavericks and Rockets’ last matchup Oct. 31, Houston won 108-102, holding off a late Dallas rally that slashed the Rockets’ lead from 23 in the third quarter to as few as three down the stretch.
Who will suit up?
In addition to Thompson, forwards Tari Eason (illness) and Jae’Sean Tate (lower leg) are doubtful for the Rockets. For Dallas, Luka Dončić (calf), and Dante Exum (wrist) will be out with injuries, and Naji Marshall will miss as he serves the third of his four-game suspension after a fight with Phoenix. Dereck Lively II is day-to-day with a hip contusion; he, Kyrie Irving and Klay Thompson all missed Monday’s game. The Mavericks have experience covering for key guys in street clothes, as no Maverick has played in every game, but are showing signs of the strain taking its toll on the roster. As demonstrated repeatedly since Luka’s injury, the offense needs at least one of its superstars in order to run as designed.
Piercing the armor
Houston has climbed to third place in the West on the strength on its defensive identity; the team has bullied its way to a 106.5 defensive rating, good for 2nd in the NBA. Thompson, whose versatility as a defender has been critical to Houston’s success on that side of the ball, will be hard for the Rockets to replace. Even with him, opposing guards have been a handful in recent games- Tyler Herro, Anthony Edwards, and Lamelo Ball averaged a combined 24.6 points on .538 shooting against them over the last week. A well-rested Irving, who sat against Sacramento after carrying much of the offensive load in Luka’s absence, could find opportunities to continue his scoring binge. He scored 28 points on 10-of-20 shooting in the previous meeting with the Rockets. His presence would be a boost to guards Spencer Dinwiddie and Quentin Grimes, who each struggled in different ways to create their own looks against the Kings.
Front and center
Big man Alperen Sengun, the Rockets’ most consistent offensive threat, has vexed opposing defenses all season on his way to 18.9 points, 10.8 rebounds, and an astounding 5.1 assists per game. Running the offense through Sengun has provided ballhandlers VanVleet, Green, and Thompson room on the floor to operate and grace to work through streaky shooting. The last time these teams played, the Mavericks held Sengun to 5 of 16 from the field, but were unable to keep him off the line late in the game as Houston protected a dwindling lead.
With the Rockets’ shaky three-point marksmanship (among rotation regulars, only Dillon Brooks shoots better than league average from deep at .386), getting stops near the basket will be of major importance for the Mavericks. To this end, Kidd has a number of looks at his disposal, whether that’s the zone defense deployed against Portland when injuries robbed his club of size against another poor three point-shooting team, or the big lineups used Monday, when P.J. Washington, Daniel Gafford, Maxi Kleber, and Dwight Powell all logged significant time to harass the Kings into many short-range misses on one end and 23 fouls on the other. The possibility of Lively’s return adds a dimension of depth to Kidd’s arsenal. However the Mavericks decide to defend the paint, they will have to be better on the boards than they were against Sacramento, when second, third, and sometimes even fifth chances helped the Kings get back into the game.
How to watch/listen
MAVS TV, channel 29, 97.1 FM KEGL (English), 99.1 FM KFZO (Español)