Rockets Host Mavericks in New Year’s Day Clash
Rearview Mirror. New Trend. Ring it In.
The Rockets kick off the 2025 calendar year portion of their season by welcoming the Dallas Mavericks to town for a New Year’s Day battle. Houston aims to start the new year with winning habits, after losing their previous two games in disappointing fashion to close last year. In the first matchup between these teams back on Halloween, the Rockets beat the Mavericks, 108-102, in Dallas. Houston needs to put the last two games in the rearview mirror, and start a new trend as 2025 rolls around. Amen Thompson was suspended two games after being involved in a scuffle with Tyler Herro in the Rockets’ previous loss on Sunday night. Dillon Brooks returned in impressive fashion on Sunday. Houston will need more from “The Villain,” and others, especially if Tari Eason remains out. The other half of the Terror Twins is listed as questionable once again for this matchup. Eason has missed six straight games, and eight of the Rockets’ last ten overall. Houston is 16-8 when Eason plays this season, but only 5-3 without him.
Tonight’s matchup is the third leg of this current five-game homestand for the Rockets. Superstar Luka Doncic is out tonight for Dallas, as he is expected to miss at least a month with an injury. The Mavs still have Kyrie Irving, Klay Thompson, and an arsenal of weapons. Dallas also sits right behind Houston in fourth place in the Western Conference. A win tonight would give the Rockets some more space as they try to secure a top-three seed, which would allow them to avoid playing the dominant Oklahoma City Thunder until the Western Conference Finals (given OKC secures the number one seed, and makes it that far in the playoffs). Ime Udoka should have his team fired up against a Mavs team that limps into this contest without their best player (Doncic), and also riding a two-game losing streak.
Houston has yet to lose three straight games all season long. This is only the squad’s second two-game skid of the campaign, as the Rockets have been relatively consistent at bouncing back from losses this season. And before this current homestand, the Rockets had won twleve of their previous fourteen games at Toyota Center. They’ll try to ring in the New Year with a victory at home, as Houston aims to avoid a three-game slide for the first time all season. After two heartbreaking losses, expect the Rockets to bounce back against the Mavericks to begin 2025.
Toyota Center: Houston, Texas
Jersey Colors:
Dallas Mavericks (20-13): White
Houston Rockets (21-11): Red
Tip-Off: 7:00 PM CT
TV: Space City Home Network, NBA League Pass