Dallas Mavericks fall to the Houston Rockets 104-97

Despite a big game from Wesley Matthews, the Dallas Mavericks fell to a red-hot Houston Rockets team and their barrage of three pointers.

The Dallas Mavericks trailed by 18 points after three quarters. However, the Mavericks rallied in the fourth quarter and outscored the Houston Rockets 30 to 19. Unfortunately, it was not enough and the Mavericks fell to the Rockets for the sixth straight time.

Houston All-Star, James Harden, scored 25 points and dished out 13 assists to lead the Rockets to its sixth straight victory over its in-state rival, the Dallas Mavericks. The Rockets current streak over the Mavericks got started with a series sweep last season.

The Rockets shot 44 percent from the floor and 41 percent from 3-point range. Four other Rockets players joined Harden with double-digit scoring performances. Among them were Ariza, Gordon, Capela, and Paul. They scored 23, 17, 16, and 12 points respectively.

More from The Smoking Cuban

• Mavericks: What to watch for as Dallas faces Utah Jazz in summer league
• Dallas Mavericks rumors: Bulls want first round pick for Lauri Markkanen
• Mavericks: Teammates look to collect debts after Luka Doncic’s extension
• Dallas Mavericks: What Tyson Chandler would bring as a coach
• Dallas Mavericks land Boban Marjanovic on two-year $7 million deal

Wesley Matthews led the Dallas Mavericks with 29 points, which matched his previous season high for the season. He also added seven 3-pointers in the game. He was joined by three other Mavs players with double-digit scoring. Ferrell, Smith, and Barnes added 19, 11 and 10 points respectively. The Mavericks shot 43 percent from the field and 3-point range.

Dirk Nowitzki only played 15 total minutes during the game and only four in the second half. After the game, Coach Rick Carlisle revealed that Dirk Nowitzki is battling a potential stomach bug. Nowitzki finished the game with only seven points on 2-of-7 shooting.

The Mavericks will have an opportunity to snap its losing streak to the Rockets when the team travels to Houston in February. Until then, the Mavericks will look to recapture the momentum the team had when it enjoyed a season high four-game winning streak that spanned from late December to early January.

Next: Could Dallas Help Facilitate a George Hill to Cleveland Trade?

UP NEXT: The Dallas Mavericks host the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday, January 26. Tip-off is set for 8:30 p.m. EST