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Video: Roger Patterson sits down with Tim Yeager at the beginning of the NBA season to talk NBA basketball in the state of Texas.
WHAT TO WATCH FOR: James Harden and Luka Doncic, two of the top 4 NBA scorers this season, go head-to-head for the first time this year when the Houston Rockets (11-5) host the Dallas Mavericks (10-5) Sunday afternoon.
The Dallas Mavericks are coming to Houston riding a 4-game winning streak. Through the first month of the season, Doncic is averaging 29.9 points, 10.4 assists and 9.7 rebounds, leading the NBA in triple-doubles (7).
Many members in the National Media recently have compared the 20-year-old's game to Harden. Both are elite-scores, great at getting to the FT line and have lethal step-back threes in their arsenal.
Doncic's has seemed to constantly get himself in the record books. This past Monday night, Luka scored a 42 point triple-double in a win vs San Antonio, becoming the second-youngest player in NBA history to record a triple-double that included a 40-point effort. The youngest being LeBron James.
"This guy can do anything he wants to on a basketball court," Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle said Monday of Doncic. "He's having one of those magical runs right now. It's a phenomenal thing to watch. It's a phenomenal thing to be a part of."
Meanwhile, Mavs big man Kristaps Porzingis after sitting out last season with an ACL injury and beginning this year with just one double-double in Dallas' first 10 games, has now come on strong in the team's past five contests, recording a double-double in four of the five games. Porzingis has also been the Mavs protector of the rim averaging 2.29 blocks a game – 4th in the NBA just in front of Rockets' Clint Capela.
The Rockets will have their hands full Sunday afternoon and need to get back in the win column after dropping their last two games. Sunday's game vs Dallas begins a three-game homestand that closes out the month of November.
Fun Fact via ESPN: Harden and Westbrook are both averaging 20-plus points per game. The last time Houston had two players averaging 20-plus points in a season was 2007-08 with Yao Ming (22.0) and Tracy McGrady (21.6).
It's a great time to be a basketball fan, both north and south of I-45.
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After losing out on Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado (no-trade clause), it appears the Astros have pivoted to another infielder.
According to multiple reports, the Astros are close to finalizing a deal with former Diamondbacks first baseman Christian Walker.
The Astros and free-agent first baseman Christian Walker are in serious talks and progressing toward a deal, sources tell @Ken_Rosenthal and me.
— Chandler Rome (@Chandler_Rome) December 20, 2024
While several reports are indicating that a deal is close, Jim Bowden is reporting that the deal is done pending a physical.
Christian Walker deal is done with #Astros pending physical
— Jim Bowden⚾️ (@JimBowdenGM) December 20, 2024
Bob Nightengale is reporting that it's a three-year, $60 million contract.
Christian Walker has agreed to a 3-year, $60 million contract with the Houston Astros.@Ken_Rosenthal said close.
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) December 20, 2024
Another thing to keep in mind is that the Astros will have to surrender two draft picks because Walker turned down a qualifying offer from Arizona.
Christian Walker declined a qualifying offer from the DBacks, so if a deal with the Astros gets done, Houston will lose its second and fifth-highest selections in the 2025 draft. However, if/when Alex Bregman signs elsewhere, the Astros will get a comp pick after the fourth round
— Chandler Rome (@Chandler_Rome) December 20, 2024
So what are the Astros getting with Walker? Walker has now won the Gold Glove for three straight seasons and provides a power bat that should greatly benefit from the Crawford Boxes.
Walker (age 33) hit 26 dingers last season while posting a .251 batting average and a .803 OPS. He also hit over 30 home runs in both 2022 and 2023.