Rockets at Mavericks
A preview of a potential first-round playoff series is on tap Thursday when the Dallas Mavericks host the Houston Rockets. The Rockets are tied with Memphis for the No. 2 spot in the Western Conference, and locking down the second spot likely would mean a matchup with Dallas.
The Mavericks solidified their hold on the No. 7 spot with a 135-131 win over eighth-place Oklahoma City on Wednesday. Houston is surging toward the postseason, having won five of six and eight of 10 after a 115-111 home win over Sacramento on Wednesday in which MVP candidate James Harden went for a career-high 51 points. "He finds a way to wow our team every time he goes out there," Rockets forward Trevor Ariza told reporters. "He's just so crafty and he can score so many different ways. It's definitely fun to watch." Sixteen of the last 20 meetings have been decided by eight points or less, including two of the three contests this season.
TV: 8:30 p.m. ET, ROOT (Houston), FSN Southwest (Dallas)
ABOUT THE ROCKETS (51-24): Harden strengthened his MVP case with an impressive showing against the Kings, matching his career high with eight 3-pointers and going 11-of-13 at the foul line. Ariza continued his recent spike in offensive production with 22 points and has averaged 17.2 points over the past five contests, while forward Terrence Jones returned after missing six games with a partially collapsed lung and put up 16 points and a career-high seven blocks. Center Dwight Howard (knee) got the night off against Sacramento but is expected to play against Dallas.
ABOUT THE MAVERICKS (46-29): All five starters and two reserves scored in double figures against the Thunder, marking the seventh time this season Dallas has had seven players in double digits. The Mavericks shot a blistering 61.5 percent against Oklahoma City and improved to 18-1 when they shoot at least 50 percent from the floor. Monta Ellis led the offensive explosion with 26 points after missing the previous game with a leg injury, and Dirk Nowitzki put up 18 points to surpass 28,000 in his career.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Houston has made 865 3-pointers this season and needs 27 to break the NBA mark set by the New York Knicks in 2012-13.
2. The Rockets have made at least 10 triples in 53 games this season and at least 15 in 16 contests, both NBA records.
3. The Mavericks handed out 35 assists Wednesday and improved to 23-1 when they have at least 25.