Rockets, Mavs Clash in Matchup of Interstate Rivals
Bouncing Back. The Beard vs. The Don. Make it Tough.
The Rockets made life tough for themselves again, last game. Houston had a 26-point lead, but let it vanquish in their previous contest, to the Thunder. The hated Dallas Mavericks come to town tonight as the Rockets look to bounce back from their dreadful collapse on Saturday night. Dallas has quietly crept back into the playoff discussion. The Mavs sit only 3 games out, and have been playing better ball as the year progresses. Houston’s had too many bad losses this season. Despite this, on most occasions, they’ve bounced back with a victory. The Rockets should have no problems with a young Mavs squad. That’s if they come out ready to play. If Houston toys with the Mavs, like they’re played around with many recent opponents, they could be in for another bad loss. Expect the Rockets to be on their toes tonight. Houston is seeking revenge from the previous matchup between the interstate rivals (a bad loss). Luka Doncic led a late comeback to beat the Rockets in Dallas. Houston should be angry from this previous loss to the Mavs, as well as their collapse on Saturday to the Thunder.
James Harden looks to continue his “Unguarable Tour” as he aims to extend his 30-point game streak to 30 games in a row. The Beard has been unstoppable, but since Chris Paul’s return, has become less of a distributor. At times, this has played against the Rockets and their rhythm. Harden’s assists were likely to go down with CP3’s return, but the Beard should still have at least 5 a game. He’s had around only 2 dimes a contest since CP3’s return. Harden needs to focus on making his teammates better while he maintains his scoring streak.
The MVP faces off against the probable Rookie of the Year tonight in Luka Doncic. “The Don” pulled off a Mavs comeback-win over the Rockets in their previous matchup, basically by himself, putting on one of his most impressive clutch-stretches of the season. Doncic is a runaway favorite for ROTY and Houston needs to keep the young gunner in check in order to bounce back with a win. Look for the Beard to be out for revenge tonight in Houston. Harden should continue his 30-point streak with ease. Houston will try and shut down the Mavs early, and see if they can hold a lead for once. It should be a nice test for a Rockets team that seems to struggle to blow opponents out.
The All-Star Break approaches. This is the last home game for Houston before the break, and the Rockets would love to close out this part of the season with back-to-back wins (they play in Minnesota on Wednesday). Houston needs to play as a team, and when they get a lead, the squad needs to focus on extending their advantage. This has been the Rockets biggest issue this year. It would be nice to see Houston win a game over a bad team easily. Unfortunately, it hasn’t happened much at all this season. The Rockets have an opportunity to start a new trend in their final home game before All-Star break. It’s time the Rockets make life tough on their opponent.
Toyota Center: Houston, Texas
Jersey Colors:
Dallas Mavericks (26-29): Blue
Houston Rockets (32-23): “City Edition” Maroon
TV: 7 PM CT – NBA TV, ATT Sportsnet SW