Dallas Mavericks: Eric Gordon’s injury opens door for Dallas

Dallas Mavericks: Eric Gordon’s injury a massive blow to the Rockets

The Dallas Mavericks faced the Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday evening. It was the final scrimmage before the NBA’s restart officially kicks off. The Mavericks picked up a 118-115 overtime win. Luka Doncic led the way with 23 points. Fans can read the five biggest takeaways from that game here.

While the Mavs were facing Philly, the Rockets took on the Celtics. Boston decided to rest their starters while Houston played their normal group. Russell Westbrook and James Harden got late starts in Orlando, so the Rockets needed the tune-up. The plan backfired as Eric Gordon was injured during the scrimmage. Adrian Wojnarowski reported it would be one to two weeks before he was back on the floor.

The Rockets face the Mavericks in the first seeding games for both teams on July 31. Gordon looks set to miss that game. Here is a look at why that injury is a massive blow for Houston.

Eric Gordon’s injury bad news for the Rockets: Dallas Mavericks grab advantage on opening night

The Houston Rockets are embracing small ball in the restart. The plan is to play P.J. Tucker and Robert Covington as the four and the five. Even the bench unit features nearly all guards and wings. The Rockets want to spread the floor to create room for Westbrook and Harden to attack.

Losing Eric Gordon is a massive blow. The 31-year-old is an elite shooter and Houston’s third-leading scorer. In games where Gordon played over 30 minutes this season, the Rockets have won ten of 13.

In the two games they faced the Mavericks, Houston won by seven in the game Eric Gordon played. The Mavs won by 14 in the contest he missed in November. Gordon’s injury makes Dallas the favorite on opening night.

Things could get worse for Houston with Gordon out. Even if he misses just a week, that puts him on the sidelines against the Mavericks, Bucks, and Trail Blazers. The Rockets likely only win one of those three games.

Every contest is massive for Houston. They are tied with the Thunder for fifth in the Western Conference and just 1.5 games ahead of Dallas. The Rockets do not want to slip to seventh and be forced to face the Clippers in the opening round of the playoffs.

Keep an eye out for updates on Eric Gordon’s ankle injury. It is going to be a massive loss for the Rockets in the restart. Hopefully, the Dallas Mavericks can take advantage of it in the first seeding game. Stay tuned for plenty more on that matchup plus analysis from the restart that supporters will not want to miss.