The Dallas Mavericks lost to the Houston Rockets 101-92 on Nov. 16 without superstar Luka Doncic, who rested on the second night of a back-to-back. Dallas was coming off a hard-fought win over the rival Clippers, and the difficult game caught up to them late as they mustered just 18 fourth-quarter points and only 41 in the second half to fall to 8-6 on the season.

It was a historic night for the young Rockets as they blocked 19 shots and shot 45.5 percent from 3-point range. Houston earned just their third win of the season as seven Rockets scored in double figures on Wednesday night at the American Airlines Center.

What can fans take away from the Mavericks’ loss without Luka Doncic? There was plenty, including an impressive performance from Tim Hardaway Jr.

Takeaway from Dallas Mavericks loss to Rockets:

3. THJ gets hot and looks healthy

Tim Hardaway Jr. had a night to forget in Tuesday’s win over the LA Clippers as he was held scoreless in 22 minutes of action and missed all seven of his field goals. The 6’5 wing did not shy away from shooting, but they were not falling. Luckily, things turned around against the Rockets.

Hardaway Jr. had 28 points on ten of 26 shooting from the field, including five 3-pointers. It was not the most-efficient night from THJ, but he delivered a key scoring performance that helped keep the Mavericks in the game. Ultimately, they ran out of steam late, but Hardaway Jr. was impressive on Wednesday night.

Tim Hardaway Jr. is still working his way to peak form after his season-ending foot injury in January. It was fantastic to see him have a monster performance against the Rockets, but he will continue to be up and down until he fully knocks off the rust.

2. Need more ball-handlers

Luka Doncic leads the league in usage, time of possession, and scoring, so it was no surprise that the Mavs had a massive void to fill on Wednesday night. It was the second night of a back-to-back, and Spencer Dinwiddie played 41 minutes against the Clippers. His legs were heavy, which contributed to a rough shooting night.

Dallas could not afford to sit Dinwiddie, and he carried another hefty workload because the Mavericks had nowhere else to turn without Doncic. The 6’5 guard produced nine points, ten assists, two rebounds, and two steals in 32 minutes of action, but Dinwiddie made just three of his 18 field goal attempts.

Head coach Jason Kidd turned to Facundo Campazzo on Wednesday night, but the 5’10 point guard will remain an emergency option. He finished with three points, two rebounds, five assists, and three steals, but he made just one of his seven field goal attempts and had three turnovers in 23 minutes of action. The Mavs do not want to have to rely on Campazzo in the playoffs.

If Luka Doncic or Spencer Dinwiddie needs to miss time, the Dallas Mavericks have nowhere to turn for their ball-handling and playmaking. It was clear on Nov. 16 without Luka, and the front office needs to address their playmaking and ball-handling issues before February’s trade deadline.

1. C-Wood shows what he can do

The Mavs mustered just 92 points without Luka Doncic, but Christian Wood had 26 of them. The 6’10 big man showcased his entire skill set on Wednesday night, including this coast-to-coast score.

Wood is a key scorer for the Mavericks with or without number 77 in the lineup, and he delivered against the Rockets. C-Wood finished with eight rebounds, three assists, one steal, and one block to go with his 26 points. He made just nine of 22 from the field but was a perfect six of six from the free throw line on Wednesday.

It was surprising that coach Kidd did not turn to Wood more versus the Rockets. It was the first time since joining the team that he topped 30 minutes in a contest, but he only played 30. Dallas desperately needed scoring and shot creation without Luka, and it seemed like the perfect time to let Wood play 35 minutes. He did deal with a bit of foul trouble, and perhaps that was one of the concerns.

The Mavs need Christian Wood to become their second-leading scorer and a key cog in their offense. He is playing well as the sixth man, but a bit more playing time and production would do wonders for Dallas, who is seemingly in a close contest every night.