DALLAS (AP) — Jalen Brunson scored 28 points and Spencer Dinwiddie added 26 in the absence of Luka Doncic, who is suffering from a sore ankle and missed the game as the Dallas Mavericks overwhelmed the Houston Rockets in the second half to win 110-91 on Wednesday.
The victory put Dallas with the same Utah record, 45-28, in fourth place in the standings and with home court advantage in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs. The Jazz, who lost 125-97 in Boston, hold the tiebreaker over the Mavericks. They will meet on Sunday in Dallas.
Rookie Alperen Sengun had 14 points and 11 rebounds and Christian Wood had 12 points on 10 rebounds in the 11th straight road loss for the Rockets, who have the NBA’s worst record at 18-55.
Dinwiddie already had 19 points early in the second quarter after scoring 36, his best with Dallas (and of the season), the last time Doncic rested, this time with a sore foot.
A 114-113 victory over Sacramento on March 5 was Dinwiddie’s sixth game and his first start since arriving from Washington in a trade that sent Kristaps Porzingis to the Wizards.
The Mavericks swept the season series (4-0) against the Rockets for the first time since they did it in back-to-back seasons, in 2010-11 and 2011-12. Those were the last two seasons as a player for current Dallas coach Jason Kidd, who celebrated his 49th birthday.
—
