Doncic, Porzingis lead Mavericks past Rockets
Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis posted double-doubles while Tim Hardaway Jr. provided complementary scoring as the Dallas Mavericks stretched their winning streak to five games with a 137-123 victory over the host Houston Rockets on Sunday.
Doncic finished with 41 points and 10 assists, while Porzingis added 23 points and 13 rebounds. Hardaway scored 31 points on 10-of-18 shooting, including 5 of 11 on 3-pointers, to power the Mavericks.
The Rockets dropped their third consecutive game following their eight-game winning streak. The Rockets trailed wire-to-wire, never even forging a tie, though they did come close.
The final push came in the fourth quarter, with Houston cutting what was once a 20-point deficit to 110-105 on a transition basket from Clint Capela with 9:04 remaining.
Houston still trailed by five when a crucial turn of events unfolded. Russell Westbrook missed a transition layup with 7:19 left that would have sliced the deficit to three, the smallest margin since the first quarter.
The Mavericks responded with a 23-8 run that put the game on ice. In a two-minute stretch, Doncic scored in transition, fed Porzingis for an alley-oop baseline dunk and completed a three-point play that extended the margin to 124-111.
Dallas shot 48.5% overall and hit 17 of 44 3-pointers. The Rockets finished 10 of 44 from deep.
James Harden paced Houston with 32 points and 11 assists but missed 13 of 15 3-pointers. Capela recorded his sixth 20-rebound game in seven starts, pairing 22 boards with 21 points. Westbrook added 27 points, while P.J. Tucker and Danuel House Jr. scored 16 points apiece.
The Rockets opened the game with three turnovers on their first three possessions, fueling the Mavericks' 7-0 start.
Dallas led by as many as 12 early in the first quarter before Harden led a comeback, scoring a dozen points in the frame to drag Houston to within 29-27 on his 3 with 2:41 left. But once he sat, the Mavericks seized control, closing the period with a 16-2 surge.
--Field Level Media
