In a battle of the top two teams in the NBA’s Southwest Division from last season, Rockets will host the Dallas Mavericks on Monday night at Toyota Center. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:00 p.m Central, in what will be the final matchup of a three-game homestand for Houston.
What remains to be seen is whether the two biggest names of the usual Texas rivalry will play. James Harden missed Saturday’s win by the Rockets (2-2) with a sprained right ankle, while Luka Doncic sat out Sunday’s loss by the Mavs in Chicago with a left quad contusion. Harden and Doncic finished third and fourth, respectively, in 2019-20 MVP voting.
Both stars will be listed as questionable for Monday’s game, with further details on their status unlikely to come until closer to tipoff. Betting odds for the Texas showdown had yet to be posted as of late Sunday, presumably due to the uncertainty involving each team’s star player.
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Even with Harden sidelined, the Rockets still had enough to win on Saturday versus Sacramento, as John Wall (28 points, 6 assists), Christian Wood (20 points, 15 rebounds, 4 blocks), and a resurgent defense (30 points allowed in the second half) were among the key storylines. But the Mavs, who finished a close second to Houston in the division last season, are likely to be a stiffer test than the Kings — especially if Doncic plays.
For new Rockets coach Stephen Silas, it will be his first meeting with Dallas since his stint as Rick Carlisle’s top assistant the last two years.
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Here’s when you should tune in to see Monday’s game:
- Date: Monday, Jan. 4
- Time: 7 p.m. Central
- TV Channel: NBA TV, AT&T SportsNet Southwest
- Live stream: fuboTV (watch for free)
Probable starting lineups
Houston Rockets
- Guard: James Harden
- Guard: John Wall
- Forward: Danuel House Jr.
- Forward: PJ Tucker
- Center: Christian Wood
Dallas Mavericks
- Guard: Luka Doncic
- Guard: Josh Richardson
- Forward: Tim Hardaway Jr.
- Forward: Dorian Finney-Smith
- Center: Dwight Powell
With Doncic out, the Mavs suffered a 118-108 loss (box score) to the Bulls on Sunday, dropping them to a disappointing 2-4 on the 2020-21 season to date. Jalen Brunson, who replaced Doncic at point guard, led Dallas with 31 points and seven assists in the narrow defeat.
While Carlisle hasn’t tipped his hand, it wouldn’t be a surprise if Doncic was spared versus an Chicago with an eye on having him available versus a conference and divisional opponent in Houston. But even if Doncic plays, the Rockets should still have a relative scheduling advantage, since Monday will be the second game of a road back-to-back for the Mavs.
Star big man Kristaps Porzingis remains sidelined indefinitely for the Mavericks due to offseason knee surgery.
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