Five Mavericks scored in double figures as Dallas avoids losing both games in the back-to-back.
Anthony Davis said after the Dallas Mavericks' blowout loss at the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday that there was no time to dwell on the defeat, knowing that a quick turnaround against the Houston Rockets awaited on Saturday at American Airlines Center in Dallas.
Davis rebounded from scoring just two points versus OKC to leading Dallas in scoring with 29 points on 14-of-19 shooting in the Mavs' 122-109 win over Houston, the West's second-best team by standings placement behind the Thunder.
Friday's front half of this back-to-back was the fewest points the veteran Davis had scored in a game where he played at least 20 minutes. He was back to his All-Star ways a day later.
Also making an impact for the Mavs was point guard Brandon Williams, who produced 20 points in just 23 minutes off the bench, accounting for 58 percent of the Mavs' bench points (34).
Wiliams' efficiency (8-12 on the game) came in a first-half burst that saw him score 13 points for his highest-scoring half of the season. He also contributed five assists as the lead guard behind rookie starter Ryan Nembhard, who put up 11 points and a team-high seven assists of his own.
Houston (15-6) entered Saturday's matchup as the NBA's second-best defense with a rating of 111.3. Dallas (9-16) rose to the challenge by shooting 60 percent from the field (49-82) and getting to the free throw time for 20 attempts (17-20).
This is an upset to say the least, given the Mavs' offensive rating of 108.3 ranks dead last in the NBA.
The win was made possible by Williams and Nembhard pushing the pace. The Mavs have been among the top-five fasted-playing teams in the league for much of the season, and they had their track shoes on against Houston to the tune of outscoring the Rockets 28-8 on fastbreak points.
P.J. Washington, who returned after sustaining an ankle sprain last week, commended Nembhard's ability to adjust to the NBA game so quickly and lead the Mavs offense.
“Controlling pace, making sure everybody gets their touches, making sure everybody feels involved, and just finding his as well," Washington said about what Nembhard has done well. "He knows how to read a defense and just take whatever they give us."
Davis also added up to a drastic advantage in the paint for the Mavs, who faced an under-manned Houston lineup that was without star big man Alperen Sengun (illness). Dallas outscored Houston 74-58 in the paint.
Kevin Durant picked up the scoring load for Houston, following up Friday's win over Phoenix in which he surpassed 31 thousand career points by adding 27 on Saturday to that total. He became the eighth player in NBA history to meet that threshold. Durant (eighth all-time in points) will likely pass Wilt Chamberlain (seventh) and Mavericks legend Dirk Nowitzki (sixth) on the all-time scoring list this season.
Durant scored 20 of his points by halftime, at which the score was tied at 57. The Mavs exploded for a 17-point advantage after the third quarter (including a 14-0 run and 16-for-22 shooting as a team), which led to Durant not playing in the fourth quarter amid the large deficit.
The Mavs are winners of four of their last five games, and now enjoy an extended break with the next game not scheduled until Friday, Dec. 12 in Dallas against the Brooklyn Nets.
The off time should benefit a Mavs front court that has dealt with injury unavailability in recent weeks, with Daniel Gafford, Dereck Lively II, Washington and Davis all missing time at some point during this stretch.