Houston Rockets (10-24) vs. Dallas Mavericks (19-16)

The Houston Rockets wrap up their three-game road trip Thursday, December 29, 2022, when they square off against the Dallas Mavericks in the Southwest Division showdown at American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas, with the tip-off at 8:30 PM ET.

Houston and Dallas split their first two encounters of the season, and each team emerged victorious on the road. The Mavericks open as 11-point favorites for Thursday’s battle, while the totals are listed at 223.0 points.

The Rockets just got routed by the Celtics
After stopping a five-game slide with a 133-118 victory at the Chicago Bulls this past Monday, the Houston Rockets (10-24; 15-16-3 ATS) returned to losing ways on the second night of a back-to-back. They suffered a heavy 126-102 defeat at the Boston Celtics, allowing a thumping 70 points in the second half. The Rockets struggled to contain Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum, who combined for 77 points on the night.
Houston shot just 40.0% from the field at TD Garden in Boston. Jalen Green led the Rockets with 28 points on 11-for-12 shooting from the field, Kevin Porter Jr. had 22 points and nine assists, while Kenyon Martin Jr. notched 17 points and three rebounds.

Back on Monday, Porter Jr. had 36 points and nine dishes, and the Rockets stunned the Bulls as 7-point road underdogs. Houston made 55.6% of its field goals (17-for-44 from deep) and posted a nice 28/13 assist-to-turnover ratio while outscoring Chicago 60-44 in the paint.

The Rockets own the third-lowest offensive rating in the NBA, tallying 110.2 points per 100 possessions. They are 29th in the league in field goal percentage (44.5%) and dead last in assists per 100 possessions (21.8). The Rockets pace the league in turnovers (17.2 per 100 possessions) and offensive rebounds (13.5).

The Mavs beat the Knicks behind Luka Doncic’s historic triple-double
The Dallas Mavericks (19-16; 12-21-2 ATS) extended their winning streak to four games this past Tuesday, outlasting the New York Knicks 126-121 in overtime. Luka Doncic went bonkers and posted the first triple-double in NBA history with at least 60 points and 20 rebounds. He had a franchise-record 60 points, 21 rebounds, and ten assists while forcing overtime with a ridiculous basket off his intentionally missed free throw.
“I’m tired as hell,” Doncic said after playing all but 12 seconds of the second half and overtime, and 49 minutes overall. “I need a recovery beer.”

The Mavs shot 48.9% from the field but made only 13 of their 46 attempts from beyond the 3-point line. They outscored the Knicks 50-48 in the paint and posted a 20/9 assist-to-turnover ratio. Spencer Dinwiddie notched 25 points, six rebounds, and five assists, while Christian Wood posted a line of 19 points, nine boards, three blocks, and a couple of dishes.
The Mavericks tally 115.0 points per 100 possessions (8th in the NBA). They make 14.9 triples per game (3rd) on a 35.8 percentage clip (14th). Doncic is racking up 33.6 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 8.8 assists per game while making 50.6% of his field goals, while Christian Wood is adding 17.4 points and 8.0 boards a night. Dorian Finney-Smith, Maxi Kleber, and Josh Green are all injured and won’t play Thursday against the Rockets.