An early Alperen Şengün injury derailed Houston's momentum, forcing improvisation and revealing critical weaknesses against Dallas' aggressive attack.
The Houston Rockets’ four-game winning streak came to an abrupt stop Saturday night in Dallas, falling 110-104 to a Mavericks team that desperately needed a stabilizing win. On paper, this looked like a matchup Houston should treat as practice. In reality, it turned into a night where too much went wrong too early, and the Rockets started to run out of options.
The game shifted almost immediately. Just over a minute into the first quarter, Alperen Şengün went down after tripping over Daniel Gafford’s leg while fighting for a defensive rebound. And when he left to be evaluated in the locker room, he never returned. That moment changed everything.
Houston has proven recently that it can win without Şengün, but those wins came with preparation, adjusted rotations, and a clear plan. Saturday had none of that. With Steven Adams already unavailable, there was no true center to stabilize the middle, and the Rockets were forced to improvise early.
To their credit, Houston came out swinging anyway. They built an early 11-point lead behind active defense and strong energy, forcing steals and playing with urgency. The game quickly took on a physical tone.
Dallas played bully-ball from the jump, highlighted by a flagrant foul on Flagg for intentionally tripping Amen Thompson less than two minutes in. Anthony Davis and Kevin Durant spent the opening stretch glued to each other, turning the game into a contest of superstars almost immediately.
Unfortunately for the Rockets, that early advantage didn’t last. Davis caught fire, erased Houston’s lead, and sparked a 10-0 Dallas run. The Rockets answered with nine straight of their own, but the cracks were already forming. Houston managed just one offensive rebound in the opening frame, a rare sight for a team that usually lives off extra possessions. They closed the first quarter ahead 31-25, but the margin felt fragile.
In the second quarter, Dallas pushed the pace aggressively, while Houston struggled to generate clean looks- especially when Durant sat. Without Şengün’s playmaking or Adams’ physical presence, the offense stalled completely. The Rockets shot just 2-for-14 during stretches without Durant or Şengün on the floor. Jabari Smith Jr. couldn’t buy a bucket, opening the night 0-for-5. Meanwhile, Dallas rattled off another 10-0 run before Houston even scored.
Then came foul trouble, compounding their problems. Durant picked up his fourth foul late in the half, Udoka challenged unsuccessfully, and Durant was forced to the bench. Dallas took full control, outscoring Houston 32-19 in the quarter. At halftime, the Rockets trailed 57-50, already dealing with foul trouble, injury chaos, and a shrinking margin for error.
There were flashes of resilience, though. Clint Capela gave Houston his best minutes of the season- active defensively, disruptive in passing lanes, and relentless on the glass. He finished with five steals and a couple of blocks, keeping Houston afloat when things threatened to spiral.
Amen Thompson continued doing what he does best: attacking the rim and generating points in spaces usually occupied by bigs. Tari Eason fought all night, finishing with a double-double. Effort wasn’t the issue- execution was.
Dallas lived in Houston’s jerseys after the break, doubling Durant and sprinting in transition. The Mavericks built a 13-point lead, stretched it to 17, and punished every missed Rockets opportunity. Houston had possessions with second, third, fourth, and even fifth chances- none of them converted. Dallas, meanwhile, was surgical. Christie couldn’t miss. Davis finished everything. Fastbreak points piled up to over 20 by the end of the frame.
Houston entered the fourth down 87-75 and finally showed urgency again. Durant played nearly the entire quarter, pouring in 12 late points. The Rockets forced turnovers, pushed the ball, and cut the deficit to five with under a minute left. The entire building took to their feet. The looks were there. The shots were not.
Houston finished the night shooting 38.7-percent from the field and just 24-percent from deep, despite taking 26 more shots than Dallas. They nearly doubled the Mavericks’ three-point attempts and made only ten of 41. Dallas shot 55-percent. That’s the game.
Kevin Durant did everything he could, contributing 34 points, seven assists, three blocks- but he had to carry far too much weight once Şengün went down. Jabari struggled to make anything. The offense crumbled. And against a Dallas team playing at home with desperation and physical edge, it wasn’t enough.
This wasn’t some grand Houston collapse, though. It was the perfect storm. Injury timing, foul trouble, and the rare night where effort didn’t translate to execution. Houston fought, but the margin vanished early- and the Mavericks never let it come back.
The Mavericks graduate to 13-23, while the Rockets fall to 21-11.