Kyrie Irving had his best game of the season, scoring 48 points, while Dante Exum’s buzzer-beating 3-pointer forced overtime in the Mavericks’ thrilling 147-136 win against the Houston Rockets on Sunday.
Luka Dončić contributed 37 points, 12 assists, and nine rebounds, guiding the Mavericks closer to securing the fifth seed in the Western Conference playoffs.
Despite a strong performance from Dillon Brooks with 29 points and Fred VanVleet with 24 points and 12 assists, the Rockets saw their postseason hopes dashed after leading for most of the game until the final moments of regulation.
This loss marks the Rockets’ fifth consecutive defeat, following their impressive 11-game winning streak earlier in the season.
With the Rockets up by three points and just 8.3 seconds remaining in regulation, Jabari Smith Jr. missed two crucial free throws. Dallas, out of timeouts, relied on Dante Exum, who passed to Doncic. Doncic’s clever fake shot allowed him to find Exum, whose buzzer-beating 3-pointer sent the game into overtime.
Irving, who scored 25 points in the fourth quarter and overtime combined, sealed the victory for Dallas with two free throws, giving them a lead they wouldn’t relinquish in the extra period.
