DALLAS (AP) — Anthony Davis scored 29 points and the Dallas Mavericks beat the Houston Rockets 122-109 on Saturday night to conclude a back-to-back after a lopsided loss to the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder.
Davis was 14 of 19 from the field one night after making just 1 of 9 shots and scoring two points in 24 minutes in a 132-111 loss to the Thunder. It was the fewest points in the ten-time All-Star’s career when he played at least 20 minutes.
Kevin Durant scored 20 of his 27 points in the first half, but ended up not playing in the fourth quarter after the Mavericks outscored Houston 37-20 in the third and took a 21-point lead early in the quarter. The game was tied at halftime.
Cooper Flagg scored 19 points, and one of his three assists was a nifty bounce pass in transition to Ryan Nembhard for a 98-77 lead. Brandon Williams scored 20 points as a backup point guard for Nembhard, the rookie who had 11 points and seven assists in his sixth consecutive start, the first of his career.
Naji Marshall beat the clock in the third quarter with his only three-pointer and scored 15 points.
Jabari Smith Jr. scored 22 points and Aaron Holiday added 19 for the Rockets.
