Tag: Kristaps Porzingis

Mavericks at Rockets: Wednesday’s lineups, injury reports and broadcast info

John Wall (left knee effusion) and Kristaps Porzingis (right wrist sprain) are each listed as questionable for the Dallas-Houston clash.

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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Report: The Mavs reached out to Warriors to gauge interest in a Kristaps Porzingis trade

According to Ian Begley of SNY, the Mavericks have reached out to the Golden State Warriors to “gauge interest” in a Kristaps Porzingis trade

With the Dallas Mavericks dropping to 14-15 to start the 2020-21 season, the team could be involved in the trade market.

According to Ian Begley of SNY, the Mavericks have reached out to the Golden State Warriors to gauge interest in a Kristaps Porzingis trade. Outside of Porzingis, there have been no other details about potential targets in the rumored deal.

Via SNY:

The Dallas Mavericks have reached out to the Golden State Warriors to gauge interest in a Kristaps Porzingis trade, sources tell SNY’s Ian Begley.

With the Warriors boasting talented rookie prospect James Wiseman and a pair of potential first-round picks in the 2021 NBA draft, Golden State could have the capital teams are interested in at the trade deadline. As the Warriors sit 16-15, it’s a mystery how Bob Myers and Steve Kerr could handle the trade deadline.

Via @SNYtv on Twitter:

After leaving the New York Knicks via a blockbuster trade in 2019, Porzingis has averaged 20.4 points on 43.8% shooting from the field with 9.2 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 31.4 minutes in a season and a half with the Dallas Mavericks. However, the Latvian’s time in Dallas has been limited to 74 games due to injury.

Prior to joining Luka Doncic and the Mavericks, the 25-year-old earned a nod to the NBA All-Star Game in 2018, averaging a career-high 22.7 points on 43.9% shooting from the field with 6.6 rebounds and 2.4 blocks in 32.4 minutes with the New York Knicks.

The 2021 trade deadline is March 25.

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The Dallas Mavericks look bad right now, but they can still get back on course

The Mavericks are at the tipping point.

Coming into this season, the Dallas Mavericks were one of the darlings of the NBA, and rightfully so.

They were only a few games away from beating the 2-seed Los Angeles Clippers in the first round of the playoffs last season. Luka Doncic is already one of the best players in the league in just his third season.

So, yeah, it makes total sense for people to pick the Mavericks for potentially deep playoff runs. And it also made sense that Doncic was a trendy MVP pick for people coming into the season.

The only problem is they look absolutely nothing like the team they did last season. In their best player’s words, they’ve been “terrible” at times.

They’re off to an absolutely putrid start. Their 9-14 record has them sitting at 14th in the Western Conference. Luka Doncic has looked spectacular, but clearly it hasn’t been enough to keep the Mavs afloat in the West.

Though they are off to a bad start, they do still have plenty of time to turn it around. Whether they will or not remains to be seen, but there’s certainly room for improvement.

Let’s explore that a bit.

NBA Jerseys: The top-selling rookie jerseys of the last 10 seasons

Rookie Wire took a look at the top-selling jerseys by first-year players in the NBA over the last 10 seasons.

On Tuesday, the NBA is encouraging fans around the world to wear their favorite jersey and post a picture of themselves on social media in celebration of the start of the 2020-21 season.

The first-ever “NBA Jersey Day” will give fans the opportunity to be featured on NBA.com and on team social media accounts around the league. To be considered, fans will need to post a picture in their favorite jersey and tag the player and team while using the #NBAJerseyDay hashtag.

Of course, the regular season will tip-off on Tuesday as the Brooklyn Nets host the Golden State Warriors beginning at 7 p.m. EST on TNT with the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers versus the Los Angeles Clippers to follow.

In the spirit of “NBA Jersey Day” taking place this week, Rookie Wire decided to take a look at the top-selling rookie jerseys over the last 10 seasons.

Rockets compare Christian Wood to Anthony Davis, Kristaps Porzingis

After Thursday’s game, Eric Gordon said Wood reminded him of playing with Davis, while Stephen Silas wants Wood in a “Porzingis role.”

After a sensational debut in Houston’s final preseason game, Rockets guard Eric Gordon had quite a comparison for new center Christian Wood.

“He’s similar to, like, Anthony Davis,” said Gordon, who was asked if Wood reminded him of anyone that he had played with. Gordon and Davis, a perennial All-Star, played together years ago in New Orleans.

“Because he can shoot, and get to the rim,” Gordon continued. “He’s still learning and adjusting. He’s still young, and he’s going to have a more prominent role here than he has before at any time in his career.”

“It’s going to take a major adjustment,” Gordon said. “Teams are going to focus on him more. So, we’ve just got to see how he adjusts during the season. But if he plays with a lot of energy, it makes it easier on everybody. Our bigs, they’re going to be a major force in what we do.”

Wood, who was signed by the Rockets in 2020 free agency, missed the first three preseason games with a sore left elbow. But the 25-year-old made quite a first impression in Thursday’s blowout win over San Antonio.

In just 24 minutes, the athletic 6-foot-10 big man scored 27 points (56% FG) and grabbed 10 rebounds, and he seemed to grow more comfortable with All-Star guard James Harden as the game moved along. When Wood checked out late in the third quarter, Houston led by 31 points.

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In postgame comments, Wood said head coach Stephen Silas had said he could play a “Porzingis role” in Houston’s offense, referring to how 7-foot-3 Kristaps Porzingis was used by Dallas last season. In fact, Silas himself made that comparison in comments to reporters earlier this month. With Silas effectively serving as the offensive coordinator, Porzingis and the 2019-20 Mavs finished with the most efficient offense in NBA history.

With the Rockets, Wood said that Silas believes that he can become one of the NBA’s best pick-and-roll players when playing alongside veteran guards such as Harden and John Wall.

“He believes in me, and I believe in him,” Wood said of Silas. “And that’s one of the reasons why I’m here.”

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Mavericks stars Doncic and Porzingis envision upset of Clippers

USA TODAY Sports’ Mark Medina breaks down postgame comments from Dallas Mavericks stars Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis.

USA TODAY Sports’ Mark Medina breaks down postgame comments from Dallas Mavericks stars Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis.

Did refs cost Mavericks Game 1 loss to Clippers?

What I’m Hearing: Mark Medina discusses Kristaps Porzingis’ ejection from Game 1 against the Clippers and why people like LeBron James and Dirk Nowitzki criticized the refs for the call.

What I’m Hearing: Mark Medina discusses Kristaps Porzingis’ ejection from Game 1 against the Clippers and why people like LeBron James and Dirk Nowitzki criticized the refs for the call.

LeBron James, Patrick Mahomes, and NBA fans rip refs over that weak ejection of Kristaps Porzingis

Come on, refs. It’s the playoffs!

The Dallas Mavericks had a five-point lead over the Los Angeles Clippers early in the third quarter of Monday night’s Game 1 of their first-round series when things changed in a hurry… because of a very weak call by the officials.

Mavs star Kristaps Porzingis was called for a technical foul for a little bit of pushing and shoving that seemed liked normal playoff basketball stuff. The technical was his second one of the game and off he went, which was pretty lame.

The Clippers went on to win the game 118-110.

Did Porzingis really deserve a technical for jumping in a little bit to stand up for his teammate, Luca Doncic?

You be the judge:

I mean, come on. This is the playoffs. The refs need to be better than that.

Porzingis spoke about it after the game:

Doncic said the team appreciated Porzingis having his back:

LeBron James, Dirk Nowitzki, and Patrick Mahomes were among those rightly ripping the refs:

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LeBron James was not happy with the ejection of Kristaps Porzingis

Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James didn’t like the call that ended in Kristaps Porzingis being ejected against the L.A. Clippers.

The Dallas Mavericks and Los Angeles Clippers were locked in arguably the most entertaining game of the day, with the Clippers jumping out to an early 16-point lead only to give it back up to the Mavericks in what was a back-and-forth contest in the 2-7 match-up in the Western Conference first round. And in the third quarter, the tenor of the game changed significantly as Kristaps Porzingis was ejected for his second technical on a double-tech with Marcus Morris.

Porzingis’ first technical was already questionable and with quick technical fouls having become a trend so far in the NBA Bubble, the ejection in the middle of a great game bothered LeBron James, among others.

Mavericks legend Dirk Nowitzki said that ejection was “soft.”

Mavericks aren’t done, with plenty of time left to go in the game, but if they are able to pull this game out without Porzingis, it will be quite a bit of a shocker.

 

Harden, Westbrook combine for 80 as Rockets stun Dallas late

Houston gave up 85 points in the first half and trailed by seven with 45 seconds left, but they rallied back for a crucial win.

The Houston Rockets allowed 85 points in the first half to rival Dallas, representing the most in franchise history. They trailed by seven points with under 45 seconds to go in regulation.

And yet, led by 49 points from NBA scoring leader James Harden, they found a way to get a crucial victory over the rival Mavericks in their opening regular-season game from the NBA “bubble” in Florida.

With a clutch 153-149 overtime win (box score), the Rockets (41-24) increased their advantage over the Mavs (40-27) in the Western Conference playoff race to 2.5 games, with only seven left to play.

Houston also moved up to the No. 5 spot in the tightly packed West standings. With a loss, the Rockets would have been within a half-game of falling behind the Mavs and into the West’s No. 7 spot.

When Maxi Kleber hit a 3-pointer with 45 seconds left in regulation to give Dallas a 138-131 lead, it appeared Houston was in serious trouble. But Harden quickly answered with a trey of his own to give them life.

Following a stop, two Robert Covington free throws, and Seth Curry splitting a pair for Dallas, the Rockets found themelves down three in the waning seconds. Rick Carlisle’s Mavs fouled Harden before he could attempt a shot, and after making his first free throw, he unintentionally missed the second. Covington, however, came flying in for a well-timed putback to tie the game with 3.3 seconds left, forcing it to overtime.

“Robert came up obviously with a heads-up play,” Houston head coach Mike D’Antoni said postgame. “To win games like this, you’ve got to make plays, and Robert made a big one today.”

“Unbelievable play,” Harden said. “Him and P.J. [Tucker] communicated what they were doing to do on the offensive rebound.”

“Honestly, I didn’t mean to miss it. I intended to make it. It was just a perfect miss, and they did an unbelievable job of moving the Dallas bigs around, and he was able to tip the ball in.

It was an off night for Covington from the field, with 13 points on just 4-of-14 shooting (28.6% FG) and 1-of-9 on 3-pointers (11.1%). But two of those four makes were critical, including the lone trey — which put the Rockets up by four with 1:22 left in overtime, virtually sealing the win.

With 11 rebounds and a game-high four blocks, Covington was also a part of Houston’s remarkable defensive turnaround. After giving up 85 points in just the first half to the Mavs and their No. 1 offense, Houston puts the clamps on with only 20 points allowed in the fourth quarter and 10 in overtime. Overall, in the 17 minutes between the fourth quarter and OT, Houston outscored Dallas by a decisive 45-30 margin.

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The defensive turnaround was just enough when combined with a spectacular (and clutch) showing on offense. Harden’s 49 points came on wildly efficient 14-of-20 shooting (70%), and he also had nine rebounds, eight assists, three steals, and three blocks. Early on, he passed Hall of Famer Calvin Murphy for second on Houston’s all-time scoring list.

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The other member of Houston’s All-Star backcourt, Russell Westbrook, also played well with 31 points, 11 rebounds, and eight assists, and his +12 plus/minus figure over his game-high 44 minutes was the best for any player on either team. Danuel House Jr., who started at small forward in place of the injured Eric Gordon, had 20 points and kept the Rockets within striking distance with six made 3-pointers in 12 attempts (50%).

“We willed our way to that win,” Westbrook said postgame. “They thought they had it, and we went and took it away. … It shows that we have fight. It shows that we can close games, which is important, especially when it comes down to the playoffs. It’s huge for our team.”

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The Rockets found a way to win despite a remarkable offensive showing by the Mavs. Kristaps Porzingis towered over the smaller Rockets with 39 points and 16 rebounds, while All-Star guard Luka Doncic had 28 points, 13 rebounds, and 10 assists. Trey Burke scored 31 points off the bench on an astonishing 8-of-10 shooting night (80%) on 3-pointers.

The two teams lived up to their billing as the NBA’s most high-volume offenses from 3-point range, with Dallas shooting 21-of-49 (42.9%) from behind the arc and Houston at 19-of-48 (39.6%).

“Obviously, we’ve got a lot of things to correct when we watch film tomorrow,” Harden said, referring to his team’s defense. “It’s not even close to where we want to be, but we’re building in the right direction.”

The Rockets will look to keep their momentum rolling at Disney World in Sunday’s nationally televised showdown against the Milwaukee Bucks (54-12), who have the league’s best record. It’ll be a showdown of the NBA’s last two MVPs in Harden and Giannis Antetokounmpo, and if Friday is any indication, “The Beard” appears ready for the challenge.

Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m. Central on Sunday, with a regional broadcast on AT&T SportsNet Southwest and a national broadcast on ABC.

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