Battle of Dallas – Mavericks at Rockets
Thursday, December 31st – 7:05 PM ET
Basketball Betting Spread: Mavericks -1
The Week That Was: Mavericks
It was a light but highly successful week for coach Rick Carlisle’s club, which asserted itself as the second-best team in the Western Conference. Dallas – as it enters Houston for this Thursday throwdown – will have played only two games in the past seven days, but those two games showed that the Mavs, barring injuries, will be a force to be reckoned with in the NBA Playoffs.
On Dec. 26, Dallas fought through the post-holiday blahs to hold off Memphis, 106-101. Beating the Grizzlies isn’t anything special, but what was significant about the win is that it was achieved despite a scoreless fourth quarter from superstar Dirk Nowitzki. A 12-point fourth quarter from Jason Terry helped the Mavs to a gritty and gutsy five-point triumph.
Mavericks -1 vs Houston >> Join to Bet Now
The week’s other game was a highly-anticipated duel in Denver against the Nuggets on Dec. 27. Dallas and Denver are fighting for the No. 2 seed in the West, behind the Los Angeles Lakers, and after gutting out a 104-96 win in the Rocky Mountains, the Mavs have to feel really good about themselves. Seven different players scored in double figures for Dallas, who moved past Denver in the conference standings.
The Week That Was: Rockets
The Rockets put together an entirely respectable week. They didn’t run the table in three contests, but they did go 2-1, and their one loss was entirely understandable.
On Dec. 26, Houston made a long post-Christmas trek to New Jersey and held off the Nets, 98-93. Guard Aaron Brooks broke a 91-91 tie with a layup at the 37-second mark of regulation. After New Jersey’s Keyon Dooling missed a go-ahead 3-pointer on the following possession, Brooks made a pair of free throws to give his team a two-possession lead. Brooks made two more foul shots a few seconds later to salt the game away.
On Dec. 27 in Cleveland, the Rockets were grounded by the Cavaliers, 108-83. The Rockets scored only 15 points in the third quarter, but in the meantime, Cleveland was sharp enough to post 32 points in that same period. The Cavs hit five 3-pointers early in the third to widen their lead, and the outcome was quickly settled.
On Dec. 29, Rick Adelman’s Rockets regrouped at home and topped New Orleans, 108-100. After getting outscored 31-13 in the third quarter, Houston flexed its muscles with a 34-18 fourth-quarter surge to shoot down the Hornets.
Outlook & Pick
The Rockets – who appear to be on the verge of trading Tracy McGrady – know how to play together as a team, and like playing with each other as well. However, Dallas is a team on the rise, and after taking down Denver on the road, the prospect of coming to Houston shouldn’t intimidate the Mavericks at all. Dirk Nowitzki and Houston forward Carl Landry had a nasty collision the last time these two teams played. Expect Nowitzki to play big and lift Dallas to a Texas-sized victory.
Winning Pick: Mavericks
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