Spokesman-Review
National Basketball Association
Houston 108, Dallas 102
When: 8:30 PM ET, Thursday, October 31, 2024
Where: American Airlines Center, Dallas, Texas
Officials: #32 Marat Kogut, #85 Robert Hussey, #55 Bill Kennedy
Attendance: 20011

Jalen Green scored a team-high 23 points and the visiting Houston Rockets fended off a fourth-quarter comeback from the Dallas Mavericks to claim a 108-102 victory on Thursday.

Green buried a 3-pointer with 1:12 remaining to stabilize the Rockets and answer Luka Doncic's 3-pointer that pulled Dallas to within 100-97. Amen Thompson and Dillon Brooks added a pair of turnaround jumpers to help the Rockets hold off the Mavericks, who trailed by 23 points in the third quarter.

Brooks and Alperen Sengun scored 17 points apiece for the Rockets, who got a combined 25 points and eight rebounds from Thompson and Tari Eason off the bench. Sengun matched Green with a game-high 12 rebounds.

Doncic scored 15 of his game-high 29 points on 6-for-8 shooting in the fourth quarter. Kyrie Irving (28 points, eight rebounds, seven assists) kept the Mavericks afloat before Doncic and Klay Thompson, who added eight fourth-quarter points, fueled the frantic fourth-quarter rally.

Klay Thompson finished with 12 points.

When Doncic sat with his fourth foul at the 5:33 mark of the third, the Rockets responded with a 14-5 surge that yielded their largest lead of the night, 82-59. Brooks followed his second-chance basket with a transition dunk off a turnover to cap the run and force a Dallas timeout.

That's when Irving came to the rescue for the Mavericks, drilling a pair of 3-pointers plus a buzzer-beater that cut the deficit to 88-72 entering the fourth.

Irving scored 14 points in the third; and, when the Rockets made just one field goal over the opening five-plus minutes of the fourth, Dallas closed within 91-84 before Green scored on a pair of drives to the basket.

Earlier, a 3-pointer by Brooks had lifted the Rockets to their first double-digit lead, 27-15. Houston led 34-21 after shooting 57.1 percent in the opening period.

After Houston extended to a 56-36 lead on a three-point play from Jabari Smith Jr., Dallas closed the half with an 8-1 run that cut the deficit to 13 at the break. While Houston missed its final six shots of the half, with two turnovers mixed in, Doncic hit two free throws and a floater.

--Field Level Media

Top Game Performances
 
Houston   Dallas
Jalen Green 23 Scoring Luka Doncic 29
Jalen Green 4 Assists Kyrie Irving 7
Jalen Green 12 Rebounds P.J. Washington 9
Alperen Sengun 7 Free Throws Made Spencer Dinwiddie 4
Steven Adams 1 Steals P.J. Washington 3
Dillon Brooks 1 Blocks P.J. Washington 3
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Points FG% 3PM-3PA FTM-FTA Assists Rebounds Blocks Steals Turnovers
Houston 108 41.2 8-34 20-27 21 50 4 4 10
Dallas 102 45.9 10-30 14-20 21 37 7 6 10
Upcoming Games
  • Dallas will play their next game at home against Orlando. The Mavericks have a W/L % of .500 after a win and 1.000 after a loss.
  • Houston will play their next game at home against Golden State. The Rockets have a W/L % of .333 after a win and 1.000 after a loss.