ROCKETS DEFEAT MAVERICKS

Jalen Green, Alperen Sengun help Rockets hold off late Mavericks rally to win 108-102

Jalen Green, Alperen Sengun help Rockets hold off late Mavericks rally to win 108-102
Rockets defeat the Mavericks, 108-102. Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images.

Jalen Green had 23 points and 12 rebounds, Alperen Sengun added 17 points and 12 rebounds, and the Houston Rockets held off a fourth-quarter Dallas rally to beat the Mavericks 108-102 on Thursday night.

The Rockets led by 23 points late in the third quarter before the defending Western Conference champions cut Houston's lead to 103-100 with a minute to play.

Dillon Brooks also had 17 for the Rockets, and Tari Eason scored 15 off the bench for the Rockets, whose reserves outscored the Mavericks’ 33-21.

Luka Doncic led Dallas with 29 points, including 15 in the fourth quarter.

Kyrie Irving scored 28, and Klay Thompson was the only other Maverick to score in double figures with 12 points.

Takeaways

Rockets: Houston was third in the NBA averaging 94.5 field goal attempts per game prior to Thursday and put up 97 shots. Dallas attempted 85 shots.

Mavericks: The center tandem of Daniel Gafford and Dereck Lively was plagued by foul trouble. Lively had five and Gafford four through three quarters. They finished with a combined six rebounds as the Rockets outrebounded the Mavericks 50-37 and outscored them 20-8 on second-chance points.

Key moment

Doncic sank a 3-pointer with 1:08 left pulling Dallas within three, but Amen Thompson answered for Houston with a fadeaway jumper with 43 seconds remaining.

Key stat

The Mavericks dug too deep of a hole after shooting 2 for 12 on 3-pointers in the first half.

Up next

The Rockets begin a three-game homestand on Saturday against the Warriors, and the Mavericks play the first of a home back-to-back on Sunday against the Magic.

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The Astros beat the Blue Jays, 3-1. Photo by Jack Gorman/Getty Images.

Christian Walker homered in a three-run second, Ryan Gusto pitched well into the sixth and the Houston Astros beat the Toronto Blue Jays 3-1 on Wednesday night to sweep the three-game series.

Walker led off the second with a home run to left off Bowden Francis (2-3), Yainer Diaz tripled and scored on Zach Dezenzo's RBI single and Yordan Alvarez capped the scoring with a sacrifice fly.

Gusto (3-1) allowed one run on three hits with six strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings. Gusto has allowed three runs or fewer in each of his three starts this season.

Bryan King pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings, and Bryan Abreu threw a scoreless eighth.

George Springer walked, and Ernie Clement doubled with one out in the ninth, but Josh Hader struck out Alejandro Kirk and induced a flyout by Myles Straw for his seventh save.

Houston has won five of its last six.

Springer hit an RBI double in the fourth for the Blue Jays. They have lost five straight games.

Francis surrendered three runs on eight hits in 4 2/3 innings. He has allowed three runs or fewer in four of his five starts.

Key moment

Hader striking out Kirk and getting Straw to flyout to center to end it.

Key stat

The Astros swept the Blue Jays for the first time since they swept a four-game series in Houston on May 14-17, 2015.

Final Thoughts

Julia Morales caught up with Walker after the game.

Up next

Houston starts a three-game series Friday at Kansas City, with RHP Hayden Wesneski (1-1, 3.91 ERA) starting the opener. Toronto RHP José Berríos (1-1, 5.02) starts Friday night in the opener of a three-game series at the Yankees.

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