On Sunday afternoon, the Dallas Mavericks (47-30) will take on the Houston Rockets (38-39) on Bally Sports. This is the second meeting between the two teams in a week, with the Mavericks winning 127-105 on the road last Sunday to move to 2-1 in the season series.
The Mavericks are trying to steal home court from the Los Angeles Clippers, but with five games left in the season, it may be too late. For the Rockets, they are on the brink of elimination for the final play-in spot.
washington rhythm
PJ Washington was more than capable of winning Friday night against the Golden State Warriors. In his most dynamic game yet in Dallas, the Mavericks' new starting forward had 32 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 blocks (!), and 5 steals (!!) while shooting 12 of 18. This book was a success, 5 books were successful. 3 to 8.
Washington's defense in Dallas was a pleasant surprise. He's always had the tools, but his play on that end of the floor in Dallas was versatile and aggressive, although he was never fully developed with the Charlotte Hornets.
Now, parts of his offense seem to be taking shape.
time. Over the last seven games, Washington is averaging 17.1 points, 6.7 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.7 steals and 1 block. During that time, his shooting percentage was 47%.
Reinforcement material
Luka Doncic did not play against the Warriors, along with Maxi Kleber, Josh Green and Derek Lively II. Green and Lively are both battling long-term injuries. As of this writing, Doncic and Kleber are currently listed as questionable, so it remains to be seen if they will return to the lineup.
Doncic and Kyrie combined for 71 points, 15 rebounds and 14 assists against the Rockets last weekend. He also made 13 of 25 3-pointers. This afternoon's game could be interesting. And the Rockets are taking their final gasp as they try to get to the play-in. Having Doncic provide stability would be a valuable return.
Rediscover three things
Over the last six games, the Mavericks are shooting over 43 percent from deep as a team. The team shot 34 percent from the field in the last 16 games after the All-Star break, so this is a welcome change of pace to combine with the more physical defense of late.
Last Sunday's game against the Rockets was no exception, as they made 24 3-pointers while shooting an impressive 51 percent from three. This version of the Mavericks has put together their path to victory last month, retries as a team and making outside shots at the right times.
How to watch
Tipoff is set for 2:30 p.m. Central Time and will be available to watch locally on Bally Sports and nationally on NBA TV.
