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The Dallas Mavericks defeated the Houston Rockets 110-91 Wednesday night in Dallas. The game was scrappy in the first half, with the Rockets leading at halftime. But the Mavericks eventually pulled away in the second half and won the game easily, despite Luka Doncic sitting.
Jalen Brunson led all scorers with 28 points. Not to be outdone, Spencer Dinwiddie scored 26 points, as well as dishing out six assists. Alperen Sengun led the Rockets with 14 points and 11 rebounds.
Here are three numbers from the game:
54: The number of points combined from Brunson and Dinwiddie
The Mavericks’ back court scored almost half Dallas’ total points for the game. They were efficient about it, too. going 18-of-32 from the floor. They racked up 17 free throw attempts, making 14 of them. There were several times last season when Luka sat and the Mavericks lost because they couldn’t get production from the replacement guards. Not anymore. Dinwiddie and Brunson powered the Mavericks to a win tonight.
+23: Dorian Finney-Smith’s on/off number for the game
Finney-Smith didn’t miss a beat tonight. The Mavericks’ best defensive wing scored 14 points, albeit on 2-of-8 shooting from behind the arc. But he collected five rebounds and did all the dirty work on the defensive end. His intensity made sure the Mavericks weren’t susceptible to sleeping on the Rockets and losing what ended up being an easy win.
84%: The Mavericks’ shooting percentage in the restricted area
Dallas went 22-of-26 in the restricted area tonight. They shot 90% against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday night. They are dominating in the paint right now, something they didn’t do early in the season. It’s significantly increased the efficiency of the offense, and bodes well as the playoffs near.
Here’s our latest episode of Mavs Moneyball After Dark. If you’re unable to see the embed below, click here to be taken to the podcast directly. Or go to your favorite podcast app and search Mavs Moneyball Podcast.
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