The Houston Rockets (10-26, 6-11 Home) will try to overcome one of the league’s top scoring defenses when they welcome the Dallas Mavericks (21-16, 6-11 Away) on Monday. Dallas narrowly defeated the San Antonio Spurs 126-125 at AT&T Center on Saturday, their sixth straight win.
With 51 points, nine assists, and six rebounds, Luka Doncic was the key player. The Mavericks are the fifth seed in the Western Conference. Houston dropped their third in a row in blowout fashion on Saturday at Toyota Center, falling to the New York Knicks 108-88. Kevin Porter Jr. had 23 points, 10 rebounds, and eight assists in the loss, carrying the team. The Rockets are the 15th seed in the Western Conference.
It’s the last meeting of the season between the teams. Houston will be looking to level the season series after triumphing in only one of the three previous games. Dallas won the most recent showdown 129-114 at American Airlines Center on Thursday. Doncic led the Mavericks with a triple double, recording 35 points, 13 assists, and 12 rebounds. Jalen Green had 23 points in the losing effort.
Doncic is averaging 34.2 points per game, best in the league, to lead the Mavs in scoring this season. Doncic also is contributing 8.9 assists, fourth-most in the league, and 8.7 rebounds per game.
Green and Porter Jr. have powered the Rockets’ offense, averaging 21.5 and 19.4 points per game, respectively. Porter Jr. also has tallied 5.8 assists per game. Alperen Sengun has collected 8.7 rebounds per game.
The Mavericks are one of the best scoring defenses in the NBA, ranking fifth with 110.4 points per game allowed. The Mavericks have had the advantage in the last 10 games at Toyota Center, winning six. Dallas is looking for a fourth successive road win this season. Houston has lost six straight at home this season.
In the last 10 games, Dallas is 7-3 with an average margin of +3.5 (114.6-111.1). Houston has a 2-8 record over the last 10, allowing 114.8 points per game on average while scoring only 107.2 (-7.6 margin).
MAVERICKS HOT/COLD
(Last Five | Season Average | Differential)
Points + Rebounds + Assists:
Kemba Walker: 3.0 | 14.7 | -11.7
Points per game:
Luka Doncic: 45.6 | 34.2 | +11.4
Kemba Walker: 2.0 | 9.7 | -7.7
Rebounds per game:
Luka Doncic: 11.2 | 8.7 | +2.5
ROCKETS HOT/COLD
(Last Five | Season Average | Differential)
Assists per game:
Kevin Porter Jr.: 7.4 | 5.8 | +1.6
SportsTips’ NBA Pick:
Dallas Mavericks (-300)
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*Odds correct at time of publication, courtesy of BetMGM.
