The Dallas Mavericks took on the Houston Rockets for the fourth and final time of the 2024-2025 season, getting destroyed 133-96. The last time these teams faced off was the first and only time Mavs’ fans saw Anthony Davis suited up. Since then, the team has embarked on a downward spiral to the dark side of the moon, having lost 8-of-10 games coming into this one. Despite the skid, the Mavericks have shown us a level of determination that wouldn’t necessarily be expected of a team decimated by injuries such as they are. The never quit attitude was on display but was nowhere near enough in a game that was wholly disinteresting and barely watchable. In fact, even the home-team crowd seemed to have better places to be for this lopsided affair. Let’s get to the grades!
Dante Exum: N/A
2 Points / 0 Rebounds / 0 Assists / 0 Steals / 0 Blocks (7 Minutes)
Exum injured his left hand and was ruled out of the game before halftime rolled around. This was not the same hand he had surgery on in the offseason, yet it will likely see him end the season the way he started it – sidelined. The injury is a broken bone and he is currently reported as being out indefinitely.
Klay Thompson: C-
5 Points / 9 Rebounds / 3 Assists / 0 Steals / 1 Block (26 Minutes)
The mixed bag of Klay Thompson showed its downside in Houston, as he started ice cold, hitting only 1-of-9 shots in the first half. On the plus-side, he did have a disproportionate rebounding total, especially considering the rebounding prowess of the Rockets. Relative to what the team really needed from him, he plainly was unable to deliver.
Naji Marshall: B+
21 Points / 5 Rebounds / 3 Assists / 1 Steal / 1 Block (34 Minutes)
Marshall stayed away from the three-point line in the first half, instead finding ways to be effective inside the arc. His output alongside Spencer Dinwiddie and Brandon Williams was the only thing that kept this game from being an absolute blowout by the half. Marshall is officially challenging Dinwiddie for the Mavs crown of players who suffer the most no-calls, yet continues to press on.
Kessler Edwards: B+
12 Points / 6 Rebounds / 0 Assists / 1 Steal / 4 Blocks (34 Minutes)
Edwards has been putting together a nice string of games of late. While this may not have been his best of the best, it was still a nice outing highlighted by some nice defensive stops.
Dwight Powell: D
1 Point / 2 Rebounds / 2 Assists / 1 Steal / 1 Block (19 Minutes)
Jason Kidd gave Powell the starting nod, but it didn’t last long. In only four minutes, Powell committed three fouls and promptly had himself a seat. When he emerged from the bench in the second half, things didn’t improve all that appreciably.
Spencer Dinwiddie: B+
20 Points / 3 Rebounds / 3 Assists / 0 Steals / 0 Blocks (34 Minutes)
If you didn’t appreciate Dinwiddie at any point during the first 67 games of the season, you likely did tonight. He led the Mavs in scoring at the half, going 6-for-9, and was a big part of keeping the team remotely close for a bit.
Caleb Martin: B-
8 Points / 1 Rebound / 2 Assists / 0 Steals / 0 Blocks (24 Minutes)
It remains difficult to gauge Martin in his short time with Dallas. He didn’t have a bad game, but he seems somewhat unnoticeable despite how few players can even suit up.
Max Christie: D
2 Points / 4 Rebounds / 0 Assists / 0 Steals / 0 Blocks (33 Minutes)
Cormac quickly became a fan-favorite, and presumably remains so; however, his struggle is officially real. We stopped counting the misses after six straight, including a couple very nice looking shots that were everything but down. There isn’t much to say. It just wasn’t his night.
Brandon Williams: B+
22 Points / 5 Rebounds / 2 Assists / 0 Steals / 0 Blocks (25 Minutes)
Alongside Dinwiddie and Marshall, Williams was a bright spot in a bleak game. He consistently got himself into the lane for finishes and reminded us he once averaged 13 points per game his rookie year. Who knows what the future holds, but without Kyrie Irving for the long-term, we may find Williams playing a bigger role on the team in the future. If he can keep playing like this, it would be a lot more than “nothing.”
