Rockets Fall to Mavs, 112-106, as Luka Erupts for 50 Points
Home-Cooked. Role Reversal. Weeks to Days.
Houston’s seven-game home-stand, the longest of the season, came to a whimpering close on Friday night, as the Dallas Mavericks staved off the Rockets in the final quarter, dealing Houston a 112-106 loss. The defeat is the Rockets’ fifth consecutive loss, all coming at home. Luka Doncic put on a performance worth every penny, as his 50 points, 8 rebounds, and 10 assists powered the Mavs past Houston. The Rockets trailed by 11 points at the half, and looked to be on their way to another disappointing loss. Houston didn’t slump out of the break this time. On Friday they did a bit of role-reversal and managed to dominate the third quarter, outscoring Dallas 34-20, taking a three-point edge heading into the fourth period. But Luka scored 17 of his 50 points in the final quarter, as the Mavericks held off any comeback attempts from the Rockets.
Jabari Smith Jr. led Houston with 24 points and 10 boards. Jalen Green scored 23 points, but struggled with his shot, going 6-for-17 from the floor. Alperen Sengun had a well-rounded 19 points, 8 boards, and 7 dimes. Kevin Porter Jr. added 14 points, but the Rockets had no answer for the hot-handed Luka Doncic. The 50 points were only the second time in Luka’s career the young phenom eclipsed the 50-point mark. And sadly for Houston, it probably won’t be the last time they witness a classic Hot-Hand-Luka night. Still only a ripe 23 years young, Luka will be tormenting the Rockets for at least a decade to come.
After winning their first two games of this home-stand, Houston has now lost five straight at Toyota Center. They won’t get another chance to break the home-skid, as the squad heads out for a three-game road trip starting December 26th in Chicago. The Rockets will play the Bulls, then travel to Boston the next night for the second-half of a back-to-back to face the team with NBA’s best record, the Celtics. And then they make a trip down to Dallas to face Luka and these Mavs once again. It’s a tough three-game trip, but hopefully it’ll etch some much-needed toughness out of these slumping Rockets. The effort was better Friday against Dallas compared to other games in this losing streak. However, this young Houston team is still mightily struggling to put four quarters together. They played a solid third quarter, the only period to admire for Rockets fans, as Houston dug themselves a first half hole, and then failed to close in the fourth quarter.
Some good news over the dreary holidays for the Rockets: Head Coach Stephen Silas has said Jae’Sean Tate, who has yet to play all season, is now days, as opposed to weeks, away from a return. This is very good news for a Houston team who is missing their MVP from last season. That’s right, last season was a mess. But there was one constant variable that remained consistent in Houston’s formula: Jae’Sean Tate. The Rockets small-forward is one of the toughest and underrated role players in the entire NBA. Tate’s also an energizer bunny for a first unit that sometimes lacks the requisite passion and motivation to play hard. Once Tate returns, expect the Rockets’ consistency to improve, and these five-game losing streaks to disappear. It’s Houston’s ultimate Christmas present: the return of their Mental-MVP. Tate may not be the most talented Rockets player, but his mental toughness is second-to-none. A trait the rest of his Houston teammates could use… now more than ever.