The Rockets narrowly defeated the Mavericks, and Uduka was forced to use Holiday, leaving Shepard with little time.

The Rockets ended their road trip in the Eastern Conference and returned to Houston to face their district rivals, the Dallas Mavericks. The Mavericks' core insider, Big Eyebrow, was absent due to injury. For the Rockets, in addition to VanVleet and Finney-Smith, starting power forward Smith Jr. was also unable to play due to an ankle injury. Although both sides have each other's main players missing the game, the Rockets are still superior in terms of overall strength.

The Mavericks felt good at the beginning. Klay Thompson hit one after another from the outside. Durant had a poor feel and frequently hit the iron. The Mavericks once turned the tables and gained a weak lead in the score.

As the game progressed, the Rockets' absolute advantage in rotation depth gradually became apparent. Adams and Capela's successive appearances immediately exploded the rebounds. The four Mavericks were unable to beat Adams at the basket. The two teamed up to grab 17 rebounds in just 33 minutes, including 8 offensive rebounds.

After halftime, the Rockets overtook the score and always maintained the initiative on the court. If Shepard, who came off the bench, hadn't been targeted, and the Rockets themselves made too many mistakes, the team shouldn't have had such a difficult time. Throughout the game, Amen, Shen Jing, and Durant all made three mistakes, and the team made as many as 17 mistakes.

Sheppard's defensive end was constantly scored by Russell and Flagg in targeted singles. Coupled with his own mistakes and sluggish offensive end, Uduka had to use Holiday, who was not originally in the rotation. In the entire game, Sheppard played 16 minutes and scored 5 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists and made 2 turnovers. On the other hand, Holiday only played 9 minutes and scored 6 points, 1 rebound and 1 assist, and his shooting percentage was much higher than that of Shepard.

In the end, with the performance of Amen, Ethan, and Okogie on both offense and defense at the last minute, the Rockets defeated the Mavericks 110:102 without any danger, achieving a 4-game winning streak. Amen scored a team-high 27 points plus 5 rebounds and 4 assists. At the decisive moment, he directly blocked Flagg's outside three-point shot with single defense. Shen Jing scored 26 points, 11 rebounds and 6 assists. Durant also had 21 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists. Ethan replaced Smith Jr. as the starter and scored 15 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists. The help he and Okogie gave the team on the defensive end cannot be reflected in statistics.

The Mavericks encountered the same predicament as the Rockets this season. Irving was seriously injured and the team had no point guard. Although Russell was signed, head coach Kidd still hoped to cultivate the comprehensiveness of No. 1 pick Flagg, pushed Russell to the bench, and chose a lineup without a point guard like the Rockets. Unfortunately, the Mavericks' forward strength is far from that of the Rockets. On the inside, the thick eyebrows and Lively's injuries make Gafford appear to be alone.

Russell had a double-double of 10 points, 4 rebounds and 12 assists against the Rockets this time. On the offensive side, the Rockets' defensive shooting percentage was dismal, but he did a very good job in organization. If Russell is allowed to enter the starting lineup, maybe the Mavericks will have a chance to play better in the game. Flagg also made 4 turnovers, and the Mavericks team also had 15 turnovers. It's a pity that Kidd chose the same lineup configuration as the Rockets in a head-on manner, and ultimately failed to help the team win the game.