Mistake, bad shot judgment Mavs as comeback vs. The Houston Rockets will ultimately fall short

After trailing by as many as 23 points, the Dallas Mavericks saved their best for last. It just wasn’t enough.

The Mavericks nearly overcame a close game along with a slow offensive start. Jalen Green, however, had other plans.

With the shot clock winding down, Green drained a 3-pointer over Luka Doncic to give the Houston Rockets enough separation to exit Dallas with a 108-102 loss at the American Airlines Center. Doncic followed with another 3-pointer to bring the Mavericks within 3 points, but Rockets guard Amen Thompson drilled a mid-range shot from the baseline, effectively ending any chance of another comeback attempt.

In what was a close game, the Mavericks battled foul trouble and failed to find a rhythm offensively, which were the primary reasons for the early double-digit deficit. Dallas fell to 3-2, while the Rockets improved to 3-2.

Dallas missed 13 of its first 21 shots in the first quarter, resulting in an early 13-point deficit.

“We’ve got to figure out how to get off to a better start,” Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said. “The slow start (had something to do with it), but fouling and rebounding, that’s what it comes down to. We have to be better in that area.”

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Doncic, who averaged just 2.1 fouls last season, was fouled for his third foul with 3:19 left in the second quarter. The Mavericks star backed up in transition and took a swipe and the ball as Jabari Smith Jr. drove to the basket, but the referee felt there was enough contact worthy of a foul. Doncic held up his hands in disbelief and looked up to the jumbotron to check the replay. He repeatedly said “I didn’t touch him” to the officer, but the call remained on hold.

It was a microcosm of the Mavericks’ frustration throughout the game with the officiating, compounded by another poor shooting night. The Mavericks committed 27 personal fouls while the Rockets were called for 20. Doncic finished with 25 points, scoring 15 of them in the fourth quarter. He made six of his eight attempts in the final 12 minutes, but made just six of 17 shots in the previous three quarters.

“It’s up to me,” Doncic said after the game. “I started pretty bad so I take the blame because I have to do better than that. I know I can do it. I just have to focus and play my game.”

It’s only been five games, but Doncic is shooting a career-low 38% from the field (48-of-124) while shooting 29% from beyond the arc. He has converted on just 14-of-48 from beyond the arc.

While a loss is still a loss, it didn’t come without a valiant comeback effort. Dallas went on a 25-9 run from the end of the third quarter to the 7:03 mark of the fourth quarter to make the game interesting. Kyrie Irving played a key role in leading the charge for the comeback. He nearly recorded a triple-double with 28 points, eight rebounds and six assists.

Green finished with 23 points and 12 rebounds. Alpine Sengun led the Rockets with a double-double of 17 points and 12 rebounds. Dillon Brooks also added 17 points. Brooks embraced every part of his villainous reputation and played a key role in ruining Halloween for every Mavericks fan in attendance. After his second 3-pointer of the first quarter, which forced Mavericks coach Jason Kidd into a timeout, Brooks gave the crowd a bad mug.

The Mavericks dropped their first game of the season to their in-state rival, but will get another chance when they visit the Rockets in Houston on New Year’s Day.