In a display of sheer basketball brilliance, Luka Doncic, with 47 points, 12 rebounds, and seven assists, along with Kyrie Irving‘s contribution of 24 points and seven assists, led the Dallas Mavericks to a triumphant 125-107 victory over the Houston Rockets during Sunday’s NBA action, curtailing their impressive 11-game win streak.
“When you talk about the best player in the world, understanding the time and where we are in the schedule and this road trip, he came out and showed why he’s one of the best in the world,” Mavs coach Jason Kidd said. “He set the tone offensively… He put the ball in the basket, was able to read and play the defense we saw tonight. It’s up to him to do his job, and he did it at a high level tonight.”
Kidd continued to marvel at Doncic’s knack for making the impossible seem routine, including an underhand lob from beyond the 3-point line that caught everyone off guard.
“To see him do that, I feel a lot of people got excited, but I think at the same time, that’s Luka. He’s always able to make tough shots. He’s Picasso. Give him the paintbrush, he’s going to do something special. That shot was pretty special.”
NBA NEWS & SCORES: Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving, Dallas Mavericks, Houston Rockets Updates
Reflecting on the Mavericks’ strategy, Doncic shared how the team took advantage of the Rockets’ switching approach — a contrast to how recent opponents have approached defensive strategy with frequently blitzing, or at least sending late doubles after switching.
“We were aggressive. They switched, so I think me and (Kyrie) went to work,” Doncic said. “Everybody else was open, so we were able to knock those shots down.”
On the opposing side, Rockets coach Ime Udoka acknowledged a less-than-ideal performance from his team, especially in containing Doncic.
“We didn’t play our best tonight. Doncic was too comfortable,” Udoka said. “Not to diminish what we did, but let’s get it back going… It’s one game. One guy played really well for them. A few others made shots, but we didn’t particularly play great.”
Doncic’s first-half heroics included 32 points on 12-18 shooting, 6 of which were 3-pointers, propelling the Mavs to a commanding 66-45 lead by halftime. He tied his career high for 3-pointers made in a game, finishing 9 of 16 from beyond the arc.
NBA NEWS & SCORES: Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving, Dallas Mavericks, Houston Rockets Updates
Dante Exum and P.J. Washington added 13 and 12 points, supporting the Mavs’ offensive onslaught. The team’s sharpshooting was on full display, hitting a season-high 24 3-pointers on 47 attempts for a 51% completion rate.
The victory places Dallas tied with idle New Orleans for fifth in the Western Conference standings, with both teams looking ahead to the season’s final eight games.
Houston’s Jabari Smith Jr. led his team with 28 points, but key player Jalen Green was limited to just 12 points on 5-15 shooting as the Rockets’ quest for a play-in spot hit a snag, leaving them two games behind the 10th-placed Golden State Warriors.
NBA NEWS & SCORES: Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving, Dallas Mavericks, Houston Rockets Updates
The Mavs will next face Golden State on Tuesday, while the Rockets look to regroup against Minnesota the same day, as both teams continue their push towards the postseason.
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