Rack up the dub!
This was a little bit of an early season prove-it game for the Houston Rockets, as they were on the road against cross-state rival and Western Conference contender Dallas Mavericks, and the Rockets rose to the occasion for a 108-102 victory.
Houston got off to a fast start, then weathered a Dallas comeback on the strength of their defense and rebounding. The Rockets won won the board battle in this one, with a 50-37 edge, including an 18-10 advantage on the offensive glass. Houston’s offense wasn’t great, as they shot just 41.2 percent as a team, with Jabari Smith Jr. the only starter who shot 50 percent or better, while the Rockets also shot just 8-for-34 from deep.
And while the Rockets’ defense did allow Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving to score 29 and 28 points respectively, no other Maverick scored in double figures other than Klay Thompson, who had 12 on just 2-for-9 from deep.
As for the Rockets, they were once again led by Jalen Green, who finished with 23 points, 12 rebounds, and 4 assists. He wasn’t incredibly efficient, going just 9-for-21 from the field and 3-for-8 from deep, but he keeps showing so far this season that he earned his new extension.
Houston also got 17 points, 12 boards, and 4 assists from Alperen Sengun. He was just 5-for-16 from the field, however, as Alpie continues to try to find his footing this year.
Dillon Brooks also had 17, but he was just 6-for-15 from the field and 2-for-9 from deep. He brought a spark, however, with some Dillon the Villain stuff. Tari Eason had 15 off the bench on 6-for-10 shooting, as he continues to make a case for himself, while Jabari Smith finished with 14 points and 6 boards on 5-for-10 from the field. He was just 1-for-5 from deep, however. Amen Thompson rounded out the double-figure scorers with 10 on 4-for-5 shooting.
Fred VanVleet laid another egg for the Rockets, playing 39 minutes but scoring just 4 points on 2-for-13 from the field and 0-for-7 from deep. He also had just 4 assists. Fred’s averaging just 12.6 points and 5.8 assists on 30 percent shooting so far this season. It’s pretty early, but those aren’t the kind of numbers that makes a GM pick up your $44 million team option.
But that’s a convo for another day. For now, take solace in the fact that the Rockets are coming off of back-to-back wins against fellow Texans, the San Antonio Spurs and Dallas Mavericks, both on the road, and they look to be coming into their own, particularly on defense.
They’ll be back in action on Saturday against the Golden State Warriors.