Mavs Capture A Win By Doing It Right Late: Mavericks 106 Rockets 102

The only thing the Dallas Mavericks and the Houston Rockets have in common is the state in which the teams are based.

But somehow, despite the fact that the Mavs are 22 games above .500 and the Rockets five below, they play close contests. Just like the matchup in late January, Saturday’s game followed the pattern of being close at the beginning, the Mavs taking charge and then the Rockets orchestrating a comeback to take the game to single digits but the Mavs pulling it out in the end.

This one carried a final score of 106-102, a product of the scoring a lot and also giving up a bunch and the near disappearances of the fourth-quarter defense the Mavs have built a reputation on this season. The Rockets sit fourth in the league in scoring, averaging 104.9 points per game. They are also 24th in opponent scoring, allowing 104.8 points per game.

The Rockets worried Mavs fans and coaches as they systemically carved a 16-point advantage down to three over a span of 8:40 minutes as time ticked away. The Rockets scored 35 in the quarter compared to the Mavericks’ 23. Veterans Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Kidd and Jason Terry scored all the rest of the Mavs’ points. A Nowitzki jump shot and a Kidd layup, both assisted by Terry, helped the Mavs expand the lead and secure the victory.

Peja Stojakovic led the Mavs in scoring much of the way Saturday with 22 through three quarters, including 11 in the third quarter and eight in the first. He connected on three shots from long range in the third quarter and was 4 for 6 for the game. Stojakovic’s good night allowed ahead on the all-time 3-pointers made list. Nowitzki matched the 22-point mark in the fourth quarter.

The Mavs bench, which now includes Terry, Shawn Marion and J.J. Barea, scored 39 compared to 27 for their Rockets counterparts. But that seemed like child's play following a record 72-point output in Thursday’s 121-120 last-second loss to the Denver Nuggets.