Tony Gutierrez - AP

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The 14-11 Rockets blast into the American Airlines Center hoping to steal some of the Mavericks Thunder in the Southwest division.  The Mavericks look to push their winning streak to six games and continue rolling along in the West. 

Did forces conspire against the Mavericks to keep them down? 

Game as a Whole:

This rivalry has gotten a lot more intense in the last couple of season. Could it be that the Rockets could be poised to overtake the Spurs as the rivalry match that every Dallas fan looks forward to with bitter hatred in their hearts?  Even with a Maverick loss this was a very entertaining, albeit a bit frustrating, basketball game to watch (both teams clearly came to play). 

The Mavericks jumped out to a hot start and looked like they were firing on all cylinders in the first quarter (looked like we were on our way to a severe routing).  The Rockets proceeded to push back, and to complicate matters the Mavericks lost Dirk on a layup in traffic that led to a “deep laceration” of the golden elbow. 

The Rockets continued their dominance in the 3^rd quarter and this is normally where Maverick fan would begin to cringe a bit thinking that the Dallas 5 game win streak would be coming to a horrible end.  That was the Mavericks of old; the new Mavericks have been staking their claim as closers with the 4^th quarter of tonight’s game being a prime example. 

The end of the 4^th quarter was a joy to watch for the Mavericks as a whole.  Overcoming a ten point lead to tie the game on the back of a strong defensive showing is something that only veteran teams can do consistently, it’s unfortunate it had to end in an overtime collapse. 

Let’s look at the quarters...

1st Quarter:

• 4th time in less than two months that both the Rockets and Mavericks have met.  
• JJ Barea gets the start again.  I think Roddy is officially in the dog house unless Barea royally messes up.
• Trying to get Marion going early but he blows the layup.  Great idea to get Marion active inside at the start of the game.  
• 10:52, Barea snakes right to the baseline and hits a smooth layup after getting around the help defender. 
• 10:11, Coming off a screen, Barea takes and makes a three-pointer.  He is definitely looking for his shot early.  Pokes the ball away on the next Rockets possession, which leads to a shot clock violation.
• Erick Dampier should really be dominating Chuck Hayes as he gives up six inches in height.  Mavericks need to start throwing it inside. 
• 8:31, Mavericks ugly turnover as Erick Dampier tries to thread the needle to Marion under the basket.  No way Dampier should ever be making that pass. 
• 7:57, Dirk with the up and under.  He doesn't use that as often as he should.  
• 7:26, Barea gives Dampier a pass, which I swear the old Dampier would have fumbled.  Super Dampier actually catches the pass and hits a reverse.  I don't know what alternate reality I am in but I like it. 
• 6:56, The Mavs are playing stifling defense, causing a second Rockets shot clock violation.  
• 5:56, Barea makes a left-handed circus shot that hits high off the glass.  He gets an "and 1" for his troubles.  Everyone is looking really aggressive tonight.  
• 5:24, Marion is back in the paint for a two point basket.  Barea gets beat by Brookes :(
• 4:24, Dirk takes it to the rim for a dunk in traffic.  He rarely dunks after blowing by his man.  A sign of confidence? 
• Marion seems to have a bit of trouble getting his rebound and putting it back in the basket.  You have to applaud the hustle but they don't have a column for that on the stats sheet.
• 3:26, Gooden comes in and grabs an offensive board.  Gets fouled on the put back attempt.  He nails both free-throws. 
• Marion and Gooden are both in the paint gathering offensive rebounds and looking to score.  16 points in the paint this quarter.  We keep putting up this many points in the paint and we will grab our sixth win in a row. 
• Gooden has gotten a ton of offensive rebounds this quarter.   
• :47, Josh Howard hits a trailing jump shot on the fast break from Kidd. 
• If we were making all these put backs we would be up be 100 points (hyperbole).  

2nd Quarter:

• Aggression getting the best of the Mavericks?  Offensive foul for Barea, play before that he loses the ball. 
• 10:29, transition three from Josh Howard.  Jump shot looks great, think the ankle is fine. 
• 9:28, Dirk drives and gets fouled by Carl Landry.  Huge cut on his elbow, doesn't look like it feels too good.  Dirk hits 1 out of 2 left handed, because he’s good like that.  Goes back to the locker room. 
• Humphries, time to step up man. 
• 8:09, Josh Howard misses an 18 footer and does his best Shane Battier impression against Shane Battier (draws charge).  No, a black hole did not open up. 
• 7:20, Gooden gets called for an offensive play.  Refs have decided that they want to call the game extremely tight now. 
• 6:33, Barea shows why you hustle for every ball.  Decides to let a ball go out which he could have easily grabbed.  Possession went to Houston. 
• Dirk has to get stitches after the collision. 
• Houston has scored seven straight to take the lead 37-30.  Howard counters back with a 2 point layup.  Where did the Mavericks from the 1st quarter go? 
• Need Dirk back.  Kidd steal with 3:48, nothing comes of it.  
• 3:12, Barea takes it into the paint and has to throw up a wild shot.  Dampier offensive rebound and draws a foul.  1 of 2 free-throws made.  
• 2:24, Dampier goes back to the line.  He should start going strong to the basket and dunking it.  
• There is no one who is even close to his size on the Rockets. Hits 1 of 2 again.   
• 0 for 5 Jason Terry.  Is there a lid on the basket for him?
• The Rockets are helping the Mavericks out so much but they are still completely failing to score anything in the last three minutes.  
• Side note, the "Ketchup and Mustard" uniforms for the Rockets are horrible.  Who thought that was a good idea? Unless they wanted to blind the Mavericks with ugly… 
• :51, Jason Terry is a shooter and hits a timely three.  Jason Terry rushes a three in the attempt to go 2 for 1.  
• :2, Marion dunk off a nice assist from Barea to end the half. 

3rd Quarter:

• 11:41, Brooks continues the hot start.  Can someone please step up and stop this guy?
• 10:03, Two Barea back-to-back baskets are what is keeping us in the game right now.  Dirk will not be returning.  Can I dub Barea mini-Dirk?
• 8:51, only down four, thanks to a Shawn Marion two point shot.  The Matrix is having a great game tonight.
• 8:02, Barea draws the Mavericks within 1.  The Mavericks are starting to get back into a groove. 
• 6:18, Practically two minutes without a basket?  What the heck is going on here?
• 4:54, Trevor Ariza starts his highlight reel for tonight.  Going on a bit of a scoring tear.
• 3:44, Drew Gooden two point shot keeping it close.  Shawn Marion filling the stat sheet with an assist on the play.
• :02, Tim Thomas cuts off a Rockets surge with a three pointer to end the quarter.  Not much good happened in this quarter. 

4th Quarter:

• 7:37, Clear path foul on Terry.  This is clearly a blown call as you watch the reply JET is step for step with his man.  This may be a game changer. 
• 6:53, Kidd gets a tech for fighting?  This is just pure comedy, seems that Tim Thomas was the instigator as he comes in and throws the first push.
• 4:35, the refs are taking over the game.  Now Dampier gets a technical foul. 
• 87-95, it’s looking all down hill for the Mavericks.  Brooks is currently picking the Mavs apart.
• 2:43, Kidd taking (and making) a long two.  Not the type of shot you want to be taking right now.  Low percentage.
• 1:53, Kidd grabs his 10^th board and gets fouled.  We are coming back thanks to the free-throw line. 
• 1:05, Shawn Marion stops a Rockets fast break, starts a Mavericks fast break, and then he is rewarded with a layup.  That could go down as a top play of the year.  
• :19.1, Kidd fouls but Brooks misses his first free-throw.  Who do you go to now for the three pointer to tie?  Jason Terry is having an off night. 
• :10.5, Tim Thomas with the clutch three to knot the game at 100 all.  It really was a great shot fake. 
• Shawn Marion deserves the game ball tonight.  He has done it all.  Time looks like it is going back on the clock.  Who would you give the ball to with Dirk out?
• Scratch that, refs don’t put any more time back on the clock, :04 left in the quarter. Matrix can’t put it in for the win.

Overtime:

• 4:08, Jason Kidd with a bank shot.  I cannot believe this. 
• 3:53, Josh Howard hurts the team by getting a technical foul after a made basket.  Luckily the Rockets miss the free throw.  
• 3:31, Scola tried to flop on Dampier but the refs don’t buy it.  Easy score for Dampier, I’ll take it.
• 3:00, Jason Terry takes an ill-advised three.  Bad choice, everything should be going to the paint.  
• Brooks has been destroying us all night, only fitting he continues to kill us in overtime.   
• Flagrant foul on Brooks gives us an extra shot plus 2 free throws.
• Eric Dampier also gets a technical and is ejected (means the opposing coach gets to choose the free throw shooter).  We get Kris Humphries at the line, makes 1 of 2.
• Jason Terry, takes another poor three to kill the Mavericks chances. 
• Rick Carlisle gives the Rockets a nightcap by getting ejected on his second technical.  
• Mavericks lose 116-108

Some Choice Statistics:

• Mavericks longest winning streak is 17 games (06-07).  Golden State Warriors ended the streak. 
• Dirk, on the quest for 20,000, currently sits at 19,784 points scored.  Don’t think he will be catching Kareem by the end of his career. 
• 5 plays were reviewed by referees in tonight’s game.  That has got to be a record. 

Closing Thoughts:

Overtime losses hurt the most.No matter what anyone would like to believe, this games outcome, while tempered by refs, was not absolutely determined by the “zebras”.  The Mavericks had their chances in overtime but they, suffered from an uncharacteristic loss of composure, perhaps due to the loss