The rebuilding Rockets have been close to a statement victory in recent days, even taking Phoenix down to the final possession on Monday. Two nights later, Houston will have a new opportunity when another probable Western Conference playoff team visits Toyota Center.
Led by Luka Doncic, Dallas won’t make it easy. The Mavericks enter Wednesday’s game playing some of their best basketball of the 2020-21 season, with five straight victories by an average margin of 13.8 points per game. That includes an impressive 111-103 victory on Monday versus Utah, which has the NBA’s best overall record.
Though Houston shouldn’t be a tough matchup on paper, the Mavs have every incentive to avoid taking the Rockets lightly. At No. 7 in the West standings, Dallas is just two games back of Portland for the No. 6 spot — which is the final confirmed seed for the 2021 playoffs. Teams from No. 7 through No. 10 are subject to the new play-in tournament.
Both teams have a lengthy injury report. John Wall (left knee effusion) is questionable to return after missing the last four games, while Avery Bradley is probable with right knee soreness. As expected, Danuel House Jr. (right ankle), David Nwaba (right wrist), Dante Exum (right calf), and Eric Gordon (right groin) remain sidelined by longer-term injuries.
As for the Mavs, big man Kristaps Porzingis (right wrist sprain) is questionable for Wednesday, as are Maxi Kleber (right lower leg soreness) and Trey Burke (left calf strain). Per head coach Rick Carlisle, Porzingis is trending toward playing in Houston. JJ Redick (right heel soreness), Willie Cauley-Stein (health and safety protocols), and Tyrell Terry (personal reasons) are all listed as out.
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Here’s when you should tune in to see Wednesday’s game:
- Date: Wednesday, April 7
- Time: 7 p.m. Central
- TV Channel: AT&T SportsNet Southwest
- Live stream: fuboTV (watch for free in Houston markets)
Probable starting lineups
Houston Rockets (13-37)
- Guard: John Wall
- Guard: Kevin Porter Jr.
- Forward: Sterling Brown
- Forward: Jae’Sean Tate
- Center: Christian Wood
Dallas Mavericks (28-21)
- Guard: Luka Doncic
- Guard: Josh Richardson
- Forward: Dorian Finney-Smith
- Forward: Maxi Kleber
- Center: Kristaps Porzingis
The Rockets will also remain without recent signing Armoni Brooks, owing to the league’s COVID-19 protocols for this season. Since Brooks wasn’t with an NBA club in recent weeks, he will need to test negative for several days before he can be cleared to join team activities. Silas estimated earlier in the week that Brooks could join them by Thursday.
On the other hand, fellow newcomer DaQuan Jeffries likely will be available, since he was in the testing protocol with Sacramento.
Wednesday’s game is the third and final meeting between the Texas rivals this season. The Mavericks won the first meeting on Jan. 4 in Houston, but the Rockets returned the favor with a 25-point blowout at Dallas on Jan. 23. This final matchup was rescheduled from Feb. 19 due to the Texas winter storm, which caused widespread power outages.
Note: This post first appeared on Rockets Wire. Follow us on Facebook!
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