With Klay Thompson now starting for the Mavericks, the team should be better on offense and defense than last season. But something feels off — Luka Doncic isn’t playing like he usually does. His slow start this season played a part in the Mavs’ recent loss to the Rockets.
Luka Doncic’s slow start hurt the Mavericks, causing them to fall behind early. The Rockets took a strong 34-21 lead in the first quarter, with Dillon Brooks scoring 10 points. Doncic ended the game with 29 points but didn’t shoot well.
He had only 12 points in the first half on 5-for-13 shooting and missed all three of his three-point attempts. The Mavs were down 57-44 at halftime. Doncic acknowledged that his slow start was a major factor in the loss, from which they could not recover.
He said, “That’s on me. I started pretty badly, so I’ll take the blame because I need to do better. I know I can. I just need to focus and play my game.” They have a few days to rest and prepare before their next game against the Orlando Magic. Hope, this break could help them adjust their play to get their fourth win of the season.
Fouls and poor shooting cost Mavericks vs Rockets
The Dallas Mavericks lost a close game to the Houston Rockets, 108-102, on October 31. Fouls and poor shooting hurt their chances. Even though they tried to come back in the fourth quarter, their early mistakes were too much to overcome.
They struggled with fouls, especially their centers, Daniel Gafford and Dereck Lively II. Gafford had four fouls, and Lively had five, which hurt their play. The Rockets took advantage of this, scoring 20 points on second-chance opportunities while the Mavericks only got 8.
The Mavs also had a tough time shooting. They made just 2 out of 12 three-point shots in the first half and finished with only a 30.6% shooting percentage overall. Luka Doncic tried hard but only hit 3 of 14 three-point attempts. Overall, the night was filled with misfortune for the team.
