Things got scary for Dallas on the boards during their Halloween night loss to the Houston Rockets, as Houston consistently attacked the glass with much more ferocity, resulting in a -13 rebounding margin for the Mavericks. Not only this, but the Mavericks also allowed the Rockets to easily look at drives throughout the game, without protecting the paint at a high level.

Dallas looked tired from the start and lacked energy in the first half, after which they trailed by 13 points. After also losing the third quarter, they found themselves trailing by 16 points going into the final period. Although they nearly climbed out of the hole thanks to some sharp shooting and a better defensive effort, they still fell short to their in-state rivals, losing 108-102.

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Of all the issues in this game, none stood out more than the aforementioned issues on the defensive glass. Houston grabbed a whopping 18 offensive rebounds, leading to 20 second-chance points, compared to the Mavericks’ total of 10 offensive rebounds, good for eight second-chance points. The Rockets also scored 58 points in the paint, many of them on these extra opportunities.

They allowed it Alperen Sengun only to grab six misses in attack and turn them into possessions. Jabari Smith Jr. picked up another three, the bench unit picked up five, and the effort was a big difference in the match. Considering that Houston only shot 41.2% from the field and still managed to win the game, that’s a fact Dereck Vivid II And Daniel Gafford only managing to combine six boards was a clear indication of the kind of night it was for Dallas.

For the Mavericks, P.J.Washington led the way with nine total rebounds and Kyrie Irving finished second with eight. Even Luka Doncicwhose presence on the boards has been consistent this year, ending at just five in total.

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Besides the misery on the glass, players love it Jalen Green were able to consistently cut through the Dallas defense on drives as they showed very little resistance to dribble penetration. Even Dillon Brooks scored 17 points, some of which came in transition, some of which involved half-court cuts that resulted in wide-open dunks. Dallas looked slow overall, and while they turned it on late, it wasn’t enough to overcome the big deficit.

Considering the Mavericks had to play five games in eight days, culminating in this loss, some minor disappointment was probably inevitable at some point. They will have time to rest on Friday and Saturday before playing the Orlando Magic, who are off Paolo Bancheroon Sunday afternoon. Hopefully these two days can be a refresher for a team that needs to come out strong, even against an Orlando team without its best player.

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