Rockets Fall Short of Massive 21-Point Comeback in Anthony Davis' Mavs Debut

The Houston Rockets lost 116-105 to the Dallas Mavericks. Jalen Green had 24 points and six assists.

Houston had no answer for Dallas' new-look lineup with Anthony Davis to start the game. Ime Udoka called the first timeout of the game as the Mavericks went up 14-7 just under five minutes into the game. Davis scored six of those points and helped his new team dominate, scoring 14 points in the paint, compared to Houston's two. The forward had 14 points in the first quarter on 6-for-8 field goals. The Rockets had no control over the first quarter as they shot 35% from the field compared to Dallas' 59% from the floor, and trailed 33-20 to end the first period.

The Mavericks continued to not allow Houston any breathing throughout the second quarter. Jalen Green was the best Rocket in the half, scoring 16 points on 6-for-10 field goals and 3-for-5 three-pointers. Davis collected 24 points, 13 rebounds, five assists, and three blocks all in the first half. The Rockets' shooting stayed off in the second quarter, only shooting 32%, and the Mavericks shot 45%. In the first half, Houston shot 33.3% from the field and from three. Dallas shot 52.3% from the field and 53.8% from three. Davis' three blocks were one-third of the Mavs', as they had nine in the first 24 minutes. They also had 15 fast break points, while the Rockets only had four. Dallas ended the first half up 65-48.

Udoka made an interesting change in the lineup to start the second half as Steven Adams started alongside Alperen Sengun in order to defend Dallas' big lineup. Houston got off to a great start in the third quarter, shooting 5-for-9 to start and holding Dallas to 2-for-7. The Rockets also cut the deficit down to nine early into the second half. Sengun led Houston to 14 straight points, cutting the lead down to just two, causing Dallas to call a timeout. The Mavericks held their ground, finding a ten-point lead and ending the quarter up 89-81.

The Rockets were able to cut the lead down to just four points late in the fourth quarter, but a big three from newly acquired Max Christie put the Mavericks up by nine points with 1:28 left to go in the game. Sengun had 30 points along with eight rebounds and Amen Thompson had 20 points, seven rebounds, as well as five assists. Although Davis missed much of the second half with an injury, the Rockets still couldn't pull through.

The Rockets take on the Toronto Raptors tomorrow at Toyota Center. Tip-off is set for 1:00 p.m. CST.

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