Mavericks Pull Away
Twenty points from Marcus Smart could not prevent the Rockets from falling to the Mavericks 132-115 on Sunday at Venetian Arena. The visiting Mavericks improved to 1-1, while Houston also moved to 1-1 after the home loss. Attendance was 11,711.
Kyrie Irving led the Mavericks with 17 points. Cooper Flagg recorded seven assists, and Sergio de Larrea had seven rebounds. For Houston, Amen Thompson finished with six assists and Jabari Smith Jr. collected nine rebounds.
Early Advantage
The Mavericks edged Houston 28-27 after the opening quarter, then widened the margin in the second. Dallas scored 30 points in the period while the Rockets scored 24, sending the Mavericks into halftime with a 58-51 lead.
The first quarter featured several lead changes. Houston took an early advantage behind scoring from Smith and Smart, but the Mavericks closed the period with points from Irving, Max Christie and P.J. Washington to take the one-point edge.
Houston Makes a Push
Houston opened the third quarter with a free throw from Smart and a 3-pointer by Reed Sheppard, then Smith's 12-foot fadeaway brought the Rockets within one at 58-57. Amen Thompson's 3-pointer later put Houston ahead 66-64.
The Mavericks answered with a 7-0 run in the scoring sequence, including a 3-pointer from Flagg and a 3-pointer from Zaccharie Risacher, to regain the lead. Naji Marshall added a 3-pointer and a 15-foot jumper, and the Mavericks finished the quarter with a 95-85 advantage after outscoring Houston 37-34.
Fourth-Quarter Finish
Houston cut the deficit to 97-91 early in the fourth after Bogdan Bogdanovic made a 3-pointer. The Mavericks responded with baskets from Marshall and Risacher, then built the margin through the rest of the period.
Risacher scored 10 points in the fourth-quarter sequence, including a 3-pointer, a tip-in dunk, a reverse dunk and a two-point shot. Tarik Biberovic added a 3-pointer and a running layup, while Sergio de Larrea scored two baskets. The Mavericks outscored the Rockets 37-30 in the fourth to complete the 132-115 result.
Sources
ESPN
