Mavericks star Luka Doncic fuels rivalry with Rockets' Dillon Brooks

On Tuesday night, the Dallas Mavericks faced their in-state foe, the Houston Rockets, for their final In-Season Tournament game of the season. The Mavericks would cap off the night with a 121-115 win over the Rockets, where it took a big effort from Luka Doncic to win the game.

However, Doncic wasn't alone in the winning effort. Kyrie Irving cashed in 27 points and nailed some clutch free throws late in the fourth quarter. Irving did an amazing job of using his wizardly handles to knife through Houston's defensive schemes and create easy opportunities down low.

Off the bench, Derrick Jones Jr. had a huge impact all game long. Jones Jr. made it an emphasis to pester the Rockets' lackluster rebounding and created multiple second-chance points in the process. He would finish the game with 15 points and six rebounds.

Mavericks star Luka Doncic fuels rivalry with Rockets' Dillon Brooks

Despite a big effort from Irving and Jones Jr., no effort was greater than Doncic's. Doncic finished with a game-high 41 points on uber-efficient numbers. He did a great job all night long of dictating the pace of the game and the spots he wanted to get to in the paint.

In the fourth quarter, Doncic exploded onto the scene and took control of the game in all aspects. He even nailed a gnarly hook shot to seal the Mavericks win with seconds left on the clock.

It is safe to say that Doncic once again had a career night on the court, but there could have been some motivation. Rockets forward Dillon Brooks has a history of getting under the opponent's skin, and tonight was no different.

He and Doncic went at one another all night long. Unfortunately for Brooks, Doncic wasn't afraid to get chirpy. Multiple times on the night, Doncic and Brooks could be seen having an exchange of words with one another in between plays.

Brooks would finish the game with 16 points and fouled out late in the fourth quarter.

The Doncic vs Brooks rivalry isn't anything new. The two have been going at each other for multiple seasons now, including international play.

The Dallas Mavericks got a much-needed win improving to 11-6 on the season. They will play the Memphis Grizzlies next on December 1. For more updates on Mavericks basketball, stay plugged in.