Rockets vs. Mavericks Takeaways: Luka Doncic's Free-Throws, Lack Of Turnovers, Solid Defense

The Houston Rockets gave up 29 second-half points to Luka Doncic, but the box score does not give a genuine assessment of Monday night's loss to the Mavericks.

HOUSTON — The Houston Rockets (10-27) dropped their fourth consecutive game in a 111-106 loss to the Dallas Mavericks (22-16) inside the Toyota Center. Here are three takeaways from the Rockets' heartbreaking defeat.

Great defense but favorable calls for Luka Doncic:

Luka Doncic has been on a tear since his 50-point outburst against the Rockets nearly two weeks ago. He has since averaged 45.6 points, 11.2 rebounds and 10.2 assists over his last five games.

Doncic finished the night with a game-high 39 points. But his performance does not justify the suitable job the Rockets did on defense. 

They held the MVP candidate to 38 percent shooting and one made 3-point field goal out of nine attempts. But the biggest issue with Doncic was the number of times he went to the free-throw line.  

He shot 18-of-22 from the charity stripe. 

"I was proud of our effort [tonight]," coach Stephen Silas said. "But when a guy is shooting 22 free-throws, it makes it tough."

Doncic's first-half performance is a genuine assessment of Houston's defense. The Rockets held Doncic to 3-of-12 shooting for 10 points. He also committed three turnovers as the Rockets collapsed the lane each time he drove downhill.     

They did a great job of forcing Doncic to give up the ball, which limited his impact during the first 24 minutes. 

Houston stuck to their defensive game plan during the final two quarters. But the officials made it difficult for the Rockets to continue their defensive execution. Doncic erupted for 29 second-half points, but 14 came at the foul line.

Better night taking care of the ball with Alperen Sengun back in the lineup:

The Rockets did a better job of taking care of the ball. Houston gave up 25 turnovers in Saturday's loss to the New York Knicks. Two nights later, the Rockets committed 10.

"Ten turnovers is great — especially against a great defensive team," Silas said. "We learned through experience, and we are right there at the very end."

As part of their ball protection, the Rockets recorded 21 assists. Houston's ball movement was solid for most of the night. But there were moments players like Kevin Porter Jr. and Jalen Green could have swung the ball around for a better shot.

The Rockets' ball movement was at its best when the team ran most of their plays through Alperen Sengun, who missed the previous game due to lower back pain. 

Silas credited a portion of the Rockets' turnover issues against the Knicks due to the absence of Sengun. But against the Mavericks, Sengun illustrated his importance to the Rockets' offense with individual playmaking and basketball IQ. 

Silas was most fond of the way Sengun handled the pressure when the Mavericks double-teamed him in the post. 

Sengun recorded 16 points and five assists in his return.

"When they were coming with the double-team, he read it quick to get the ball moving," Silas said. "He made really good plays on the offensive end for his teammates."

Another solid defensive performance against the Mavericks:

Despite giving up 29 second-half points to Doncic and 21 points apiece to Tim Hardaway Jr. and Christian Wood, the Rockets had another decent defensive performance against the Mavericks.

Dallas came into the game shooting 47.1 percent from the field and 36.0 percent from behind the arc. But against the Rockets, the Mavericks shot a subpar 42.0 percent from the floor, 30.2 percent on 3-point field goal attempts. 

Houston held the Mavericks under their shooting average in three out of their four games this season.

Best Performance:

Kevin Porter Jr. had another great performance and has been the Rockets' best player over the last seven days. He played a team-high 42 minutes and ended the night with 25 points (11-of-20 FG), six rebounds and six assists. Porter also had one of his best defensive performances with three steals and a block.

Worst performance:

Garrison Mathews did not provide the Rockets with any contributions. In 12 minutes, Mathews picked up a pair of fouls and missed both of his 3-point field goal attempts.

Final Words:

"I thought we did a good job on him [Luka Doncic] the whole game. The issue was the fouls...I don't have enough money to get fine." — Stephen Silas 

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You can follow Coty M. Davis on Twitter at @CotyDavis_24

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