Things got scary for Dallas along the boards in their Halloween Night loss to the Houston Rockets, as Houston attacked the glass with much more ferocity throughout, resulting in a -13 rebounding advantage for the Mavericks. Additionally, the Mavericks allowed the Rockets to get easy looks on drives throughout the game without protecting the paint at a high level.

Dallas looked tired from the start, they lacked energy in the first half and then trailed by 13 points. After losing the third quarter, they had to accept a deficit of 16 points in the final phase. Although they nearly climbed out of the hole thanks to some good shooting and a better defensive performance, they still fell short of their in-state rivals, losing 108-102.

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Of all the issues presented in this game, none stood out more than the aforementioned issues on the defensive screen. Houston managed a whopping 18 offensive rebounds, which led to 20 second-chance points, compared to the Mavericks' total of 10 offensive rebounds for eight second-chance points. The Rockets also scored 58 points in the game, many of them coming from those extra opportunities.

They allowed it Alperen Sengun just to make six mistakes on offense and convert them into possession. Jabari Smith Jr. grabbed another three, the bench unit grabbed five, and that try made a big difference in the game. Considering Houston only shot 41.2% from the field and still managed to win the game, that's a fact Dereck Lively II And Daniel Gafford That they only managed to combine on six total boards was a clear indication of what kind of night it was for Dallas.

For the Mavericks, PJ Washington led with a total of nine rebounds and Kyrie Irving came second with eight. Even Luka Doncicwhose presence on the committees was constant this year, ended with a total of just five.

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In addition to the problems on the glass, the players like Jalen Green were able to consistently break through the Dallas defense during attacks as they showed very little resistance to dribble penetration. Even Dillon Brooks scored 17 points, some in transition, others on cuts in the half court that led to wide-open dunks. Dallas seemed sluggish overall, and although they took the lead late, it wasn't enough to erase the large deficit.

Considering the Mavericks had to play five games in eight days, culminating in this loss, a little disappointment would be inevitable at some point. They have time to rest on Friday and Saturday before facing the downed Orlando Magic Paolo Bancheroon Sunday afternoon. Hopefully these two days can be a refresher for a team that needs to come out strong, even against an Orlando team that doesn't have its best player.

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