Mavs vs. Rockets GAMEDAY: Christian Wood Gears Up to Play Former Team

The Dallas Mavericks seek to get a win against the Houston Rockets on the second night of a back-to-back after defeating the LA Clippers. Will Luka Doncic play?

The Dallas Mavericks pulled off a 103-101 win over the LA Clippers on Tuesday. They return to action on Wednesday to host the Houston Rockets in what will be the third game of a five-game homestand. 

The Mavs led by as many as 25 points in their narrow win over the Clippers. Losing leads has become an issue for Dallas. With hot shooting from Dorian Finney-Smith and Reggie Bullock, each resulting in their season-highs for made 3s, the team was in a position to win late. In fact, the Mavs shot 7-11 from deep in the fourth quarter after a cold third period.

Luka Doncic salvaged a broken play late, leading to a clutch-made 3-pointer with 27.8 seconds left to play. He finished with 35 points, 11 rebounds, five assists, and three steals in 39 minutes. There is a possibility he ultimately sits out to rest when the Mavs take on the Rockets.

"We've played a lot of close games, and we've given up a lot of big leads, so just like we drew it up," Mavs coach Jason Kidd said with a smile. "I thought the group handled the situation with grace in the sense that things just weren't going our way but we didn't self-destruct. We stayed together and found a way."

The Rockets' last outing was a matchup against the Clippers, too. Houston was defeated handily 122-106 and never had much of a chance after going down by double-figures late in the opening period. 

"It definitely can be (frustrating)," Rockets coach Stephen Silas said. "It can be when you do a good job of protecting the paint and they kick it out and make a 3. It can be when you're doing a great job of getting downhill and getting into the paint and getting to the free-throw line but then you're missing free throws."

Christian Wood will take on his former team for the first time since being traded. He was dealt from the Rockets in the offseason in exchange for the No. 26 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft and four salary filler contracts. 

RECORDS: Dallas Mavericks (8-5), Houston Rockets (2-12)

WHEN: Tuesday, Nov. 16, 2022 at 7:30 p.m. CT

WHERE: American Airlines Center (Dallas, TX)

TV: Bally Sports Southwest (BSSW), NBA League Pass

RADIO: 97.1 The Freak, 99.1 FM Zona MX (Spanish)

ODDS: The Mavs are favored to win by 9 points.

NEXT UP: The Mavs will begin the first of a two-game mini-series with the Denver Nuggets to wrap up their five-game homestand. 

FINAL WORD: Luka Doncic on possibly resting against Rockets.

“We’ll see about that,” Doncic said. “I think tomorrow, me and coach are going to decide. It’s been a long time playing basketball. Not a lot of breaks. We’ll see tomorrow. After that two games back-to-back, I was really tired. But now I feel great now.”

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