The Dallas Mavericks managed to extend their stay in the playoffs, thanks to their season-saving win on Sunday against the Houston Rockets. Will Dallas’ fans get to see their team back home again for Game 6? Or will Houston fend off any talk of collapse by defeating Dallas on Tuesday to advance into the next round?
Read on for more about this game below. You can also click here for the preview of Game 4 of the series between the Grizzlies and the Blazers.
Dallas Mavericks vs. Houston Rockets Preview
Series Scores & Schedule
Game 1 – April 18, Dallas Mavericks 108 at Houston Rockets 118
Game 2 – April 21, Dallas Mavericks 99 at Houston Rockets 111
Game 3 – April 24, Houston Rockets 130 at Dallas Mavericks 128
Game 4 – April 26, Houston Rockets 109 at Dallas Mavericks 121
Game 5 – April 28, 8:00 PM ET, Dallas Mavericks at Houston Rockets – view all NBA lines
Game 6* – April 30, TBD, Houston Rockets at Dallas Mavericks
Game 7* – May 2, TBD, Dallas Mavericks at Houston Rockets
* If necessary
Betting on the Dallas Mavericks
Dallas isn’t going anywhere but Houston on Tuesday. The Mavericks ascertained that after they defeated Houston on Sunday, 121-109 to avoid being swept by the Rockets in the first round of this year’s playoffs.
[sc:NBA240banner ]Coach Rick Carlisle’s decision to insert J.J. Barea in the starting unit paid dividends for the Mavs in Game 4, as the diminutive guard from Puerto Rico fired a series-high 17 points and handed out 13 assists. Barea proved to be the perfect backcourt partner for Monta Ellis, who scattered 31 points on 13-for-21 shooting from the field.
Having found a lethal starting backcourt combo, Carlisle may opt to start Barea again in Game 5. Barea is Dallas’ third-best scorer in the playoffs, as he is averaging 13.3 points thus far in the series against Houston. Ellis, meanwhile, has been shooting efficiently over the last two games, wherein he averaged 32.5 points on 60.9 percent shooting.
Another player who has stepped up for Dallas is Al-Farouq Aminu, who has now scored 31 points over the Mavs’ last two games. He’s been playing better than Richard Jefferson thus far in this series, so expect Aminu to get a start at the small forward position in Game 5. Aminu is averaging 10.5 points in the series, while Jefferson is contributing just 3.8 points.
Three-point shooting is likely to play another big role for Dallas in Game 5. The Mavericks are 21-for-57 from the three-point area over the last two games.
The over is 6-1 in Dallas’ last seven road games.
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Betting on the Houston Rockets
After failing to wrap up their first round playoff series against Dallas in four games, the Rockets now look to end it at home when they host their Texas-rival at Toyota Center on Tuesday. The Rockets are 4-0 SU and ATS in their last four home games against Dallas.
The Rockets were once again led by James Harden in the loss to Dallas in Game 4. After exploding for 42 points in Game 3, Harden was a bit silenced this time as he mustered 24 points on 7-for-15 shooting from the field and 9-for-9 from the free throw line. Harden, however, went just 1-for-7 from the three-point area.
Overall, the Rockets fared bad from beyond the arc as they collectively made just seven threes on 31 attempts for an unacceptable 22.6 percent.
If Houston’s three-point shooting remains salty in Game 5, then they can always pound the rock inside to the likes of Dwight Howard and Terrence Jones to generate offense. Houston has clearly established its dominance inside the paint in this series, as evidenced by the Rockets’ average of 57.5 points in the paint over their last four games. In Game 4, the Rockets asserted their authority again inside as they scored 60 points in the shaded area.
Howard is averaging 16.3 points and a team-high 12.3 boards per game thus far in this series, while Jones is putting up 12.3 points and grabbing 6.3 rebounds. Both big men, however, have been seemingly outplayed by Josh Smith, who is averaging 16.8 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 4.3 assists in the first round. In fact, Smith’s 5.5 net rating (offensive rating minus defensive rating) is the best among all Rockets who have played all four games in the first round of the playoffs. Smith came off the bench in Game 4 and scored 23 points on 8-for-11 shooting, including 4-for-5 on threes.
Writer’s Prediction
Houston wins, 118-113.
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