It’s always bigger in Texas and the rivalry between the Houston Rockets and the Dallas Mavericks is huge. On Sunday it was the Rockets who got the impressive 115-104 win over their state rivals.
It was a game to remember as the Rockets fired at the end of the third quarter and then had a big fourth quarter to lead by as many as 13 points on their way to a 11 point win over the Mavericks.
For African fans watching the game there was a key tussle and real battle that got the hearts pounding as Tunisian Salah Mejri and Swiss-Angolan/Congolese Clint Capela fought hard on opposite sides. They were caught in a physical contest with the pair trading points and big plays. Mejri impressed and his block on James Harden will appear on highlight reels, as well as Capela’s big dunk in the first half.
The first quarter saw something special from Trevor Ariza who started the game like a run-away fire. He scored 14 points in the first 6 minutes of the game. He couldn’t be stopped from beyond the arc and scored 16 in the opening frame. Houston were ahead 36-29 at the end of the first quarter. Ariza would finish the game with 29 points, a game high for Houston, he made 6-9 from three-point land.
Dallas then went on a good run of scoring as veteran Dirk Nowitzki was the go-to-guy and his three-pointer gave the Mavericks the lead for the first time in the second quarter. Yet again Chandler Parsons was the highest point scorer for the Mavs, he had 5-6 from beyond the arc as he finished the game with a game high 31 points, he also grabbed six rebounds. Nowitzki contributed 19 points to the Dallas score in their losing cause.
Houston were being bossed for two and a half quarter before they found some fight and clawed their way back into the contest late in the 3rd quarter as Ty Lawson nailed a pressure three-pointer. The Mavericks lead by 1 point going into the fourth quarter. James Harden was all over the court dictating play and the Rockets rode his excellent form into the fourth quarter. Harden finished with a triple double, the eighth of his career. He had 23 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists.
The Rockets found another gear and they outplayed the tired Mavericks in the final frame. They outscored the visitors 31-19 in the fourth quarter. Josh Smith showed again why he was a superb acquisition from the LA Clippers. 16 points, three rebounds, two assists, two steals and two blocks in the game had Rockets fans cheering Smith all the way to the bench as the game was won.
Houston claimed the comfortable victory in the end as they made their shots and remained solid on defence down the stretch. As for the African players, Mejri finished with his first double-double in the NBA with 10 points and 11 rebounds. Capela ended the night with eight points, five rebounds and two assists. Dallas head home chastened by the loss, the Rockets were left smiling from ear to ear as their rivals were soundly beaten.
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