HOUSTON — On Wednesday night, the Houston Rockets clinched a 110-99 victory over the Dallas Mavericks, thanks to standout performances from Alperen Sengun and Jalen Green. Sengun scored 23 points while Green contributed 22, pivotal in building an early lead in the second half. Dillon Brooks also stepped up, adding 19 points, and Cam Whitmore chipped in with 18, helping the Rockets bounce back after suffering two consecutive losses.
The Mavericks briefly held a four-point lead midway through the second quarter. However, the Rockets surged ahead with a notable 21-8 run, taking a 61-52 lead into halftime. During this critical stretch, Green was particularly effective, scoring eight points, while Whitmore successfully made two three-pointers.
As the second half commenced, Houston continued their momentum with an 11-4 run, extending their lead to 72-56 with nine minutes left in the third quarter. By the end of the third, the Rockets were ahead by 14 points and maintained a comfortable double-digit advantage throughout the final quarter.
The Mavericks welcomed back key players including Kyrie Irving (shoulder), Klay Thompson (illness), and Dereck Lively II (hip), all of whom had missed a previous game. However, Naji Marshall was still sidelined, serving a four-game suspension due to his involvement in a recent altercation.
Quentin Grimes led the Mavericks’ scoring efforts with 17 points off the bench, while both Thompson and Irving added 16 points each in the loss. Despite the return of these players, Dallas faced their third defeat in four games, continuing to struggle without star player Luka Doncic, who is expected to be out for at least a month due to a calf strain sustained on Christmas Day.
Although the Rockets missed the scoring contributions from Amen Thompson, who is under suspension for two games due to an on-court incident, they seamlessly filled the void and kept their offense rolling.
A key moment in the game was Houston’s impressive 32-12 run that spanned the latter part of the first half and the early part of the second half. The Rockets’ success was also partly due to their superior free-throw shooting, knocking down 18 of 23 attempts while the Mavericks struggled, converting only 8 of 16.
Looking ahead, both teams will return to the court on Friday night, with Dallas set to host Cleveland while Houston will take on Boston at home.
