Rockets in Search of Victory, Battle Mavericks for Final Time
Welcome to 2023. The Last Go Round. Identity Seekers.
The Rockets begin 2023 with their final matchup against the Dallas Mavericks this season. This will be the third time Houston’s faced Dallas in the last two weeks. Mavs’ superstar Luka Doncic is continuing his dominant stretch as he’s put Dallas on his shoulders, allowing them to climb up to fourth place in the Western Conference. Luka is playing like the best player in the world, and the league’s MVP at the moment. Doncic dropped another 50-Burger in the Mavs recent close win over the Spurs on Saturday night. Luka scored 51 points, to go along with 9 assists and 6 boards in the Alamo City. Houston has to hope he’s cooled off a bit as the Rockets host the Mavs for the final time this season. Dallas, winners of their last six, is currently the hottest team in the West. And Luka is playing the best basketball of his career.
Last time these teams squared off Doncic had a 35-point triple-double, which seems subpar compared to the 50 points he dropped in these teams’ first matchup in Houston, and the Mavs’ recent victory on Saturday. The Rockets have to pray Luka has a rare off-night, and try to contain him as best as possible. Doncic is showing why he’s an MVP front-runner. No single player in this league can guard him. Houston needs a team effort to even the season series with a win over Dallas tonight.
This is the first game of 2023 for the Rockets, who ended 2022 with a whimper in their 108-88 beatdown by the New York Knicks. Tonight’s game won’t be any easier. The Mavs are the hottest team in the NBA besides the Brooklyn Nets, who have won 11 games in a row. Houston would love to start the new year with a victory over one of the NBA’s hottest teams, and arguably the best player in the world right now. Dallas has struggled to find their identity with Luka as their superstar, not surrounding him with enough talent, but as the moment, Doncic is carrying the Mavs in a MVP-statement over their current winning streak. The Rockets, on the other hand, are in the midst of an identity crisis. Houston is seeking to find an identity on both ends of the court. Who is this team? Other than being one of the league’s best offensive rebounding teams, Houston is a bad defensive team that commits too many turnovers, the two aspects that keep the Rockets from victory, while sinking this team into a losing rut for three seasons running. The squad got off to a hot start in their previous loss on NYE, but after the first quarter, the Rockets disappeared defensively. Can Houston finally put four quarters together to start 2023? The year starts with a tough challenge for these young Rockets. The squad’s seeking to even this season series at two games apiece, as they battle red-hot Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks one more time on Monday night.
Toyota Center: Houston, Texas
Jersey Colors:
Dallas Mavericks (21-16): Blue
Houston Rockets (10-26): Red
Tip-Off: 7:00 PM CT
TV: AT&T Sportsnet SW, NBA League Pass