勇士大胜独行侠，收下大礼，西部附加赛格局生变
NBA regular-season match between the Houston Rockets and the Dallas Mavericks took place on April 1st, Beijing time. Before the game, the Rockets, with a record of 38 wins and 35 losses, ranked 11th in the Western Conference, while the Mavericks, with a record of 44 wins and 29 losses, stood at 6th in the West. Both teams were on a good streak, with the Rockets having won 11 consecutive games and the Mavericks securing 6 consecutive victories. The matchup between Jaylen Green and Luka Doncic was undoubtedly the highlight of the game. The Rockets' starting lineup featured VanVleet, Jaylen Green, Dillon, Amin, and Smith, while the Mavericks started with Doncic, Irving, Jones, Washington, and Caufield.
In the first quarter, Smith scored a three-pointer, Amin made a layup, and the Rockets had a 5-0 run. Doncic scored 4 consecutive points, and Amin was substituted early due to 2 fouls. Green made a layup, Smith hit a three-pointer, Caufield had an alley-oop, and Washington scored a three-pointer, tying the score at 10-10. Doncic added 5 more points, Smith responded with a foul, Leifert made a dunk, Brock hit a three-pointer, and the Rockets fell behind by 3 points. The Mavericks then surged, with Exum and Doncic hitting 3 consecutive three-pointers, quickly extending the lead to double digits. After the timeout, Doncic scored another three-pointer, and the Rockets struggled to contain him. The Mavericks continued their strong performance, widening the gap. Despite some efforts from the Rockets, Doncic's three-pointers kept coming, and the Rockets ended the quarter trailing by 12 points at 24-36.
Doncic had an outstanding first quarter with 22 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 assists. In the second quarter, Caufield blocked Amin's shot, Smith and Jeff committed consecutive fouls, narrowing the gap for the Rockets. Jones made a dunk, Caufield scored inside, and Brock responded with a jump shot, reducing the deficit to 10 points. Irving hit a jump shot, Washington scored a three-pointer, while the Rockets struggled with their outside shooting. Green's layup stopped the bleeding momentarily, but Exum and Washington continued their three-point barrage, widening the lead again. Both teams competed in outside shooting, but the Rockets' accuracy dropped significantly, shooting only 13 out of 38 attempts, while the Mavericks were 24 out of 47. Despite Green's efforts, especially in the paint, the Rockets couldn't contain Doncic's dominance, trailing by 14 points as the first half ended at 45-66 in favor of the Mavericks.
At halftime, Amin had 8 points and 5 rebounds, Smith contributed 10 points and 5 rebounds, Green had 12 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 assists, VanVleet scored 1 point but dished out 3 assists, and Randall added 4 points and 3 rebounds. On the Mavericks' side, Jones had 2 points and 3 rebounds, Washington contributed 10 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 assists, Caufield had 4 points, Irving scored 5 points, and Doncic led with 32 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 assists. The Rockets needed to improve their shooting, especially from the outside, as they were trailing by a significant margin.
In the third quarter, Green's layup was blocked by Caufield, and Green committed a turnover on an inbound violation. Doncic continued his scoring spree with a three-pointer, extending the lead to 25 points. Smith made a jump shot, but Doncic responded with a difficult shot. Jordan made a three-pointer, and Doncic answered with another basket, maintaining a 21-point lead. The Rockets mounted a comeback effort, but Irving's three-pointer and Washington's scoring kept the Mavericks ahead. Doncic continued his stellar performance from beyond the arc, widening the gap to 29 points. However, Randall and Jordan's scoring helped the Rockets reduce the deficit to 20 points. Holiday's layup brought the gap down to 18 points, giving the Rockets some hope. However, Doncic's three-point shooting was relentless, and despite the Rockets' efforts, they ended the third quarter trailing 73-91.
In the fourth quarter, Irving and Holiday exchanged baskets, with Irving hitting another three-pointer. Hardaway Jr. continued the scoring for the Mavericks, extending the lead to 23 points. Irving's three-pointer further widened the gap, and Hardaway Jr. added more points, increasing the lead to 25 points. The game was out of reach for the Rockets, despite some late efforts from Smith, Brown, and Holiday to bring the deficit back to within 20 points. The Mavericks and Rockets both started using their bench players as the game neared its end. The final score saw the Rockets losing 107-125 to the Mavericks.
Individual performances for the Rockets included Jaylen Green with 12 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 turnovers, Smith with 28 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 blocks, Amin with 8 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 steals, Randall with 11 points and 4 rebounds, and Holiday with 16 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 assists. However, key players like VanVleet struggled, contributing only 10 points, 2 rebounds, 7 assists, and 3 turnovers, while Dilon failed to score. Green couldn't replicate his previous performances, especially in the second half.
The Rockets' loss can be attributed to their inability to contain Doncic, who scored 47 points, grabbed 12 rebounds, dished out 7 assists, and had 4 turnovers. Doncic's dominance, especially in scoring, made it challenging for the Rockets to mount a comeback. Furthermore, the Rockets' poor outside shooting, with only 13 out of 38 attempts made, compared to the Mavericks' 24 out of 47, contributed significantly to their defeat. Despite the loss, there were positives for the Rockets, such as Brown's solid performance with 13 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 steals upon his return.
The Mavericks' victory ended the Rockets' 11-game winning streak, shifting the playoff landscape. Importantly, the Warriors also won their game, making the next matchup crucial for the Rockets. The Mavericks' 7-game winning streak propelled them to 5th place in the Western Conference, surpassing the Pelicans. The upcoming games for both teams will be critical in shaping their playoff standings.
