Preview: Dallas Mavericks Set to Face Rockets For Final Time This Season

The Dallas Mavericks are coming off a loss to the red-hot Charlotte Hornets despite a historic performance from star rookie Cooper Flagg, who put up 49 points and 10 rebounds, becoming the first rookie to do so since Michael Jordan. That's pretty good company to keep. And most importantly, it keeps the Mavericks ethically tanking, which is something they need to do.

Their next opponent in this tough stretch of games before the All-Star Break is the Houston Rockets, who are 4th in the Western Conference, a few games behind the Denver Nuggets in third. They've been dealt a few brutal injury blows, with Fred VanVleet and Steven Adams being out for the season. While that doesn't touch the injuries of the Mavericks, it is keeping them from reaching their ceiling.

With the trade deadline only a few days away, both of these teams could make moves. The Mavericks need to shed salaries, while the Rockets need to add a point guard and maybe even a center to take the minutes of Adams. In the meantime, there's still a game to play.

Jan 29, 2026; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg (32) reacts during the second half against the Charlotte Hornets at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

Houston just dominated the Atlanta Hawks on Thursday night, and they are looking to move to 30 wins against a Mavericks team that has now lost three straight games, fresh off a four-game winning streak. The three losses have mostly been close, which has been the theme of the Jason Kidd era; he's always going to have his guys playing hard. Losing a game where Cooper Flagg puts up a teenage record of 49 points is borderline impressive.

But that's because the team around him wasn't that helpful. Naji Marshall was out for rest, and P.J. Washington has not played well this year. Max Christie had another poor shooting night, which didn't help matters. He had been a strong contender for the three-point shooting contest on All-Star Weekend, but this recent stretch may push him out of it.