Luka Doncic has 30 points, Mavericks beat Rockets 113-100

Updated Mar. 11, 2022 10:32 p.m. ET

Associated Press

HOUSTON (AP) — Luka Doncic scored 30 points, Dwight Powell had 26 and the Dallas Mavericks built a big lead and coasted to 113-100 victory over the Houston Rockets Friday night.

Spencer Dinwiddie added 16 points and seven assists to help the Mavericks win for the sixth time in seven games and move to a season-high-tying 15 games above .500 at 41-26.

Doncic had 14 rebounds and Powell had 13 as the Mavericks outrebounded Houston 47-39.

Dallas had a 24-point lead entering the fourth quarter, but Houston had cut it to 98-84 when Doncic entered the game for the first time in the period.

The Mavericks made two free throws before a 3-pointer by Doncic made it 103-84 with about seven minutes to go.

Garrison Mathews started an 8-3 spurt by the Rockets with a four-point play that got them within 14 again later in the fourth. But the Mavericks scored the next five points, highlighted by an alley-oop dunk from Doncic to Josh Green, to extend it to 111-92 with about five minutes left.

Dallas was up by 17 with about two minutes to go when coach Jason Kidd took his starters out for good.

The Mavericks took control of this one early and used a 36-point second quarter to take a 67-44 lead into halftime.

Dallas was up by 20 in the third before using a 12-3 run, capped by a 3 from Doncic, to extend it to 83-54 midway through the quarter.

The Mavericks have dominated the Rockets this season and the victory improves them to 3-0 in the series.

The Rockets, who have the NBA’s worst record at 17-50, were looking to build on an overtime victory over the Lakers on Wednesday night. Instead, they followed it up with another bad game to fall to 2-14 in recent games.

They got 17 points each from Kevin Porter Jr. and Josh Christopher on a night when rookie Jalen Green, the second overall pick in the draft, had 11 after scoring a career-best 32 on Wednesday.

TIP-INS

Mavericks: Jalen Brunson sat out with a bruised thigh. ... Dorian Finney-Smith didn’t play because of a bruised right arm. ... Marquese Chriss missed an 11th straight game with a sore right knee.

Rockets: Christian Wood was out for a third consecutive games because of an illness. ... Jae’Sean Tate missed his second straight game with a sore left ankle. ... Bruno Fernando received a flagrant 1 foul after a hard foul on Powell in the fourth quarter.

UP NEXT

Mavericks: Visit the Celtics Sunday.

Rockets: Visit New Orleans Sunday night.

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