National Basketball Association

Game Day: Houston Rockets at Dallas Mavericks 10.30.16

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 5:43 p.m. ET

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Oct 28, 2016; Dallas, TX, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Wesley Matthews (23) guards Houston Rockets forward Trevor Ariza (1) during the first half at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

Houston Rockets host the Mavericks in their home opener with hopes of sweeping the home and home series.

Two games into the season the Houston Rockets have shown their fans 2 types of games. In their season opening loss the Rockets absence of defense reckoned memories of last season. Conversely, their win in Dallas was much more in line with what Red Nation was hoping the club would play like this season.

For the Mavericks they’ve been held win-less in their first 2 games, so they’ll be desperate to register a “W”. Granted the Houston Rockets will be hoping to establish a winning record at the Toyota Center, so don’t expect any sympathy being afforded their Southwest Division rivals.

With that, SCS offers the Game Day Countdown:

Oct 1, 2016; Bossier City, LA, USA; New Orleans Pelicans center Alexis Ajinca (42) grabs the rebound over Dallas Mavericks center A.J. Hammons (20) during the second half at CenturyLink Center. New Orleans won 116-102. Mandatory Credit: Ray Carlin-USA TODAY Sports

Draft Picks

Round 1: N/A,

Round 2: A.J. Hammons (46)

Incoming:

Exiting:

Re-upping:

Next: Starting Line Ups

Oct 28, 2016; Dallas, TX, USA; Houston Rockets center Nene Hilario (42) and forward Trevor Ariza (1) jump for the rebound against the Dallas Mavericks during the first half at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

Houston Rockets Starting 5:

(stats from 2015-16)

Point Guard: James Harden – 29 points, 7.5 assists, 6.1 rebounds, 2016 SCS Harden preview

Shooting Guard: Eric Gordon – 15.2 points, 2.7 assists, 2.2 rebounds Media Day

Small Forward: Trevor Ariza – 12.7 points, 2.3 assists, 4.5 rebounds, 2016 SCS Ariza preview

Power Forward: Ryan Anderson – 17.0 points 1.1 assists, 6.0 rebounds Anderson Media Day

Center: Clint Capela – 7.0 points, 0.6 assists, 6.4 rebounds, 2016 SCS Capela preview

Dallas Mavericks Starting 5:

(stats from 2015-16)

Point Guard: Deron Williams – 14.1 points, 5.8 assists, 2.9 rebounds

Shooting Guard: Wesley Matthews -12.5 points, 1.9 assists, 3.1 rebounds

Small Forward: Harrison Barnes – 11.7 points, 1.8 assists, 4.9 rebounds

Power Forward: Dirk Nowitzki – 18.3 pints, 1.8 assists, 6.5 rebounds

Center: Andrew Bogut – 5.4 points, 2.3 assists, 7.0 rebounds

Oct 28, 2016; Dallas, TX, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward Dwight Powell (7) defends against Houston Rockets guard Tyler Ennis (6) during the game at the American Airlines Center. The Rockets defeat the Mavericks 106-98. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

Houston Rockets Bench:

Guards:

Wings:

Bigs:

Dallas Mavericks Bench:

Guards: JJ Barea, Seth Curry

Wings: Justin Anderson, Dorian Finney-Smith, Nicolas Brussino

Bigs: Salahj Mejri, Dwight Powell, Quincy Acy, AJ Hammons

Oct 19, 2016; Dallas, TX, USA; Dallas Mavericks center Andrew Bogut (6) looks to drives to the basket as Houston Rockets center Clint Capela (15) defends during the second half at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

Walking Wounded:

Houston Rockets:

Dallas Mavericks:

All injury reports as per rotoworld

Venue:

Sunday October 30th at Toyota Center, Houston, TX

Radio and Television Providers:

In Houston and Area: Root Sports

In Dallas and Area: Fox Sports Southwest

Worldwide: NBA League Pass

Radio: 790 AM

Game Time: 7:00 PM CT and 8:00 PM EST

Oct 19, 2016; Dallas, TX, USA; Houston Rockets guard James Harden (13) dribbles as Dallas Mavericks guard Wesley Matthews (left) defends during the second half at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

Keys to Winning:

Consistency: The Rockets have showcased different types of games through 2 games. In the first versus the Lakers an absence of defense was costly, whereas a balanced effort in Dallas led to a win.

Use bench depth and defensive minded players: Mike D’Antoni can’t afford to get caught up in how much money the Rockets paid to get Ryan Anderson. Either he performs defensively or he’ll need to sit in the fourth again like he did in Dallas. The unit featuring of Tyler Ennis, Eric Gordon, K.J. McDaniels, Trevor Ariza and Nene were the best defensively in Dallas. If the Mavericks show up with a more concerted effort in Houston, D’Antoni shouldn’t hesitate to use them again.

If you only read the box score following Friday’s victory, it would appear the Rockets had an easy victory. The truth is the game was much closer throughout and the team only nailed down the win in the final frame. Dirk Nowitzki is expected to play in Houston which will offer another offensive threat. Plus the Mavericks are desperate for a win.

Protect Home Court: As simple as it sounds it’s a critical part of every team doing well. Half the 82 games are played at home so winning a majority goes a long way to gaining a playoff berth and ideally home court. Furthermore, the Rockets head out on the road for 5 straight games following Sunday, so notching a victory prior is critical.

Other notables:

Post game grades from Friday, October 28th

SCS Film Room, 3 lessons learned from Friday, October 28th

Team Previews:

Get a full breakdown of both teams via these links:

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Enjoy the season Red Nation and be sure to stay connected with Space City Scoop as our amazing team of writers keep you abreast of all things Houston Rockets.