Luka Dončić ended the Houston Rockets’ 11-game win streak on Sunday night in a way that only he could.
The Dallas Mavericks star led his team flying past the Rockets to grab a 125-107 win on Sunday at the Toyota Center, which gave Houston its first loss since March 6. He finished with 47 points and hit nine 3-pointers in the win, but it was a ridiculous underhand bucket he hit in the third quarter that really turned heads. The shot was one that belonged in a game of H.O.R.S.E. in a driveway somewhere rather than in an NBA arena.
Dončić, with the Mavericks already in a very comfortable position, was trying to make a move to get past Jabari Smith Jr. at the 3-point line. Dončić faked once and then stepped through before tossing in an underhanded shot from barely a foot inside the arc like it was nothing.
Dončić erupted right out of the gate for Dallas on Sunday night. He hit five 3-pointers in the first quarter to push the Mavericks to a double digit lead right away, and then entered halftime with 32 points and eight rebounds to his name. The Rockets just didn’t have much of an answer, and they entered the break down by 21 points.
By then, especially once Dončić felt comfortable enough to hit his trick shot, it was far too late for Houston to get back in it. The Mavericks held on to grab the 18-point win.
Smith led the Rockets with 28 points and seven rebounds while shooting a 5-of-7 from behind the arc in the loss. Aaron Holiday added 16 points off the bench, and Cam Whitmore finished with 13 points and five rebounds.
The Rockets have been on an incredible run over the last month or so, and it’s nearly vaulted them back into playoff contention. They entered Sunday’s game winning 11 in a row and 13 of their last 14 games. That pushed the Rockets to 11th in the Western Conference standings. The loss to the Mavericks dropped them to 38-36 on the season, and they now trail the Golden State Warriors by two games for the final play-in spot in the West with eight games left in the regular season.
Dončić added 12 rebounds and seven assists to his 47 points in the win for Dallas, and he shot 18-of-30 from the field. Kyrie Irving finished with 24 points and seven assists, and Dante Exum added 13 points off the bench.
The Mavericks, who have won a now league-high seven games themselves, improved to 45-29 on the season with the win on Sunday. That has them tied with the New Orleans Pelicans at fifth in the Western Conference standings with eight games left before the playoffs.
Source Agencies
