Oct 31, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Klay Thompson (31) reacts in fron tof Dallas Mavericks forward P.J. Washington (25) during the second half against the Houston Rockets at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images / Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images
In their Halloween night loss to the Houston Rockets, things got scary for Dallas on the boards, 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 get easy looks on drives throughout the game, failing to protect the paint at a high level.
Dallas looked tired from the start, lacking energy in the first half, after which they trailed by 13 points. After losing the third quarter as well, they faced a 16-point deficit entering the final period. Though they nearly climbed out of the hole thanks to some hot shooting and a better defensive effort, they still fell short to their in-state rivals, losing 108-102.
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Of all of the problems displayed in this game, none stuck out more than the aforementioned problems on the defensive glass. Houston managed a whopping 18 offensive rebounds, which led to 20 second-chance points to the Mavericks' total of 10 offensive rebounds for eight second-chance points. The Rockets also scored 58 points in the paint, many of which were on these extra opportunities.
They allowed Alperen Sengun alone to grab six misses on the offensive end and turn them into possessions. Jabari Smith Jr. grabbed another three, the bench unit grabbed five, and the effort was a major difference in the game. Considering Houston shot just 41.2% from the field and still managed to win the game, the fact that Dereck Lively II and Daniel Gafford only managed to combine for six total boards was a clear indication of the kind of night it was for Dallas.
For the Mavericks, PJ Washington led the way with nine total rebounds and Kyrie Irving finished second with eight. Even Luka Doncic, whose presence on the boards has been constant this year, finished with just five total.
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In addition to the woes on the glass, players like Jalen Green were able to consistently knife through the Dallas defense during drives as they showed very little resistance to dribble penetration. Even Dillon Brooks scored 17 points, some of which were in transition, some of which were on cuts in the half-court that resulted in wide-open dunks. Dallas seemed sluggish overall, and though they turned it on late, it wasn't enough to overcome the major deficit.
Considering the Mavericks had to play five games in eight days, culminating in this loss, a bit of a letdown was probably going to be inevitable at some point. They will have Friday and Saturday to rest before playing against the Orlando Magic, who are down Paolo Banchero, on Sunday afternoon. Hopefully, these two days can be a refresher for a team that needs to come out strong, even against an Orlando squad without its best player.