Luka Doncic reveals reason for shocking loss to Rockets
Luka Doncic’s poor start on Thursday against the Houston Rockets had the Dallas Mavericks struggling early on. The visiting Rockets stormed out to a 34-21 lead after the first quarter, with Dillon Brooks scoring 10 points in Houston’s fiery start.
Doncic, the reigning scoring champ, didn’t have his shooting touch. He finished the first half with 12 points on 5-for-13 shooting, including 0-for-3 from long range. The Mavericks trailed 57-44 at halftime.
After the game, the Slovenian had this to say about his team’s loss (via Noah Weber):
“That’s me. I’m just starting pretty tough, pretty bad. So I’ll take the blame because I got to do way better than that.”
Outside of Kyrie Irving, every Maverick struggled to hit shots in the first half. Klay Thompson hit 2-for-5 attempts but couldn’t make a 3-pointer in three tries. Spencer Dinwiddie, like Thompson, couldn’t convert any of his shots behind the arc.
The Dallas Mavericks defense kept the Houston Rockets in check starting the second quarter but their offense stuttered. It wasn’t until the fourth quarter that Luka Doncic’s shooting touch returned. He had 15 points in the period to nearly help his team pull the rug from under the visitors.
The Rockets kept their composure amid Doncic’s onslaught to emerge with a 108-102 win. Dallas dropped to a 3-2 record after the loss, ending its modest two-game winning streak.
Doncic finished with 29 points on 12-for-25 shooting, while Irving had 28 in 20 shots. Jalen Green led the Rockets with 23 markers and 12 rebounds, while Alperen Sengun added 17 points and 12 boards.
Luka Doncic and the Mavericks can redeem themselves on Sunday
The Dallas Mavericks started a five-game home stand with a disappointing loss to the Houston Rockets. Luka Doncic and Co. will have the opportunity to promptly redeem themselves on Sunday against the Orlando Magic.
Dallas has a two-day rest before facing the Magic. Doncic and his teammates should be well-rested when they host the young and hungry team from the East, who will be without star Paolo Banchero.
The Mavericks stand a good chance of getting back to the win column if they can avoid another sluggish start in their next game.