Rockets at Mavericks
The Rajon Rondo experiment is having disastrous effects for the Dallas Mavericks, and the Houston Rockets are taking advantage. The Rockets will try to move to 3-0 in the best-of-seven series when they visit the Mavericks for Game 3 on Friday.
Rondo was brought in to stabilize the point guard spot but has done anything but in his short tenure in Dallas. The mercurial former All-Star was on the court for just 10 minutes in Game 2 before finally heading to the bench permanently after drawing a technical foul for shoving Houston guard James Harden less than a minute into the second half, and he will sit out Game 3 with a back injury. "All I know right now is that we need everybody at their competitive best,” Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle told reporters. “This isn't about one guy who did or didn't play. This is about everybody pulling in the same direction for the organization.” A more pressing matter might be finding a way to stop Rockets center Dwight Howard, who put up 28 points and 12 rebounds in Game 2.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, ESPN, ROOT (Houston), KTXA (Dallas)
ABOUT THE ROCKETS: Howard battled foul trouble in Game 1 but managed to stay on the court in Game 2 and spent some time in the fourth quarter hooking up with former high school teammate Josh Smith. “The fourth quarter group got in there and did a tremendous job,” Houston coach Kevin McHale told reporters. “Josh was finding guys and they were cutting. Guys were moving for him. He and Dwight had some beautiful hook-ups on lob passes, and he just did a wonderful job of getting into spots and making the next play and breaking down the defense.” Smith ended up with 15 points, nine assists and eight rebounds in 26 minutes off the bench in Game 2.
ABOUT THE MAVERICKS: Rondo’s inability to mesh with the team is an even bigger issue with backup point guard Devin Harris (toe) ailing and small forward Chandler Parsons (right knee) expected to miss a second straight game. J.J. Barea logged the bulk of the minutes at the point in Game 2 but ended up with two assists and four turnovers in 34 minutes while going 5-of-14 from the field. “We've got to all stay in this thing together,” center Tyson Chandler told reporters. “It's the only way we're going to have a chance.”
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Rockets G James Harden is 9-of-28 from the field in the series.
2. Mavericks F Dirk Nowitzki scored 24 points in Game 1 but dipped to 10 on 3-of-14 shooting in Game 2.
3. Dallas lost both its trips to Houston in the regular season by a combined eight points.