Rockets cruise past Mavericks
DALLAS -- It didn't take long for the Houston Rockets to establish their dominance once again against the Dallas Mavericks.
A 16-0 run in the second quarter by the Rockets proved to put the game out of reach rather quickly, as they cruised to a 123-107 victory on Tuesday night at the American Airlines Center.
The Rockets (24-9) swept all four of their games against the Mavericks for the first time since the 1997-98 season, and have now won 13 of their last 15. James Harden led the way with 34 points, 11 assists and five rebounds.
The Mavs (9-23), meanwhile, now own the worst winning percentage in the Western Conference at .391. Harrison Barnes led them with 21 points, while Wesley Matthews had 19.
Despite the lopsided score, the competitive juices were flowing all night. The teams combined for eight technical fouls and two Flagrant 1s, and Houston forward Trevor Ariza was ejected in the fourth quarter.
Ariza had nine points and seven rebounds in 30 minutes at the time of his ejections. By that point, the game had essentially been decided.
The Rockets jumped out to an 18-4 lead in the first quarter, but the Mavericks rallied and briefly took a 29-26 lead on a 3-pointer by Matthews at the 1:23 mark of the first quarter.
But the Rockets responded and tied the game at 31-31 by the end of the quarter, and then pulled away in the second quarter.
With the game tied at 37-37, Houston went on the 16-0 run, capped by Harden making the final five points. Mavericks center Andrew Bogut was called for a Flagrant 1, and Harden converted both free throws and proceeded to make a 3-pointer to put the Rockets up 53-37 at the 5:23 mark.
The Mavericks' scoring drought went more than five minutes before it ended when Matthews made a layup with 4:31 left. But the Rockets had already imposed their will.
Houston shot 56 percent from the field in the opening half with Harden leading the way with 24 points. Dallas shot only 38 percent from the floor in the first half, and Dirk Nowitzki was just 2-of-8 from the field for seven points.
Nowitzki played 15 minutes in the first half and rested in the second half. Bogut did, too, after returning from an 11-game absence with a bone bruise in his right knee. Bogut had six points, two assists and two steals in 11 scoreless minutes.
Dallas point guard Pierre Jackson, a Baylor product, made his NBA debut late in the game and scored seven points.
NOTES: C Andrew Bogut returned to the Mavericks after missing the previous 11 games with a bone bruise in his right knee, but coach Rick Carlisle said he'd be on minutes restrictions. ... Dallas signed PG Pierre Jackson, a Baylor product, before Tuesday's game and waived G Jonathan Gibson. ... Rockets PG Patrick Beverley did not play with a left quad contusion, as Corey Brewer got the start. ... Houston returns home for four consecutive games, and it swept four straight at home when it happened earlier this season Dec. 10-16 (vs. Dallas, Brooklyn, Sacramento and New Orleans).