Dallas, TX – In a Southwest Division thriller that had American Airlines Center buzzing from tip-off to the final buzzer, the Houston Rockets edged out the Dallas Mavericks 112-109 on Saturday night, December 6, 2025. What started as a back-to-back grind with both teams nursing fatigue from the night before evolved into a high-stakes chess match, where Kevin Durant’s vintage scoring clinic proved just enough to keep Houston’s winning streak alive at four games. For Dallas, it was another gut-wrenching loss in a season already marred by injuries, dropping them to 12-9 and underscoring the Mavs’ desperate need for consistency around their superstar.
The game, part of a grueling December slate, saw the Rockets (15-7) dictate the early tone with their trademark physicality and transition attack. Trailing by as many as eight in the first quarter, Houston flipped the script with a 20-5 run bridging the first and second frames, fueled by Durant’s silky mid-range pull-ups and Jabari Smith Jr.’s relentless rebounding. By halftime, the score sat at a razor-thin 57-57 – a testament to both squads’ resilience after playing Friday night. Dallas leaned on Anthony Davis’ interior dominance and Cooper Flagg’s rookie poise to claw back, but Houston’s bench depth, spearheaded by sharpshooter Reed Sheppard’s timely threes, kept the visitors in control.
“The energy was there, but these back-to-backs test your soul,” Durant said postgame, towel draped over his shoulders, a faint smile cracking through the sweat. “We knew Dallas would come at us with everything – Luka’s a killer, AD’s a monster – but our group just stayed locked in. That’s what separates us right now.”
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Durant’s Masterclass: 38 Points Seal the Deal for Houston
If there was a MVP for the night, it belonged unequivocally to Kevin Durant. The 37-year-old phenom, acquired by the Rockets in a blockbuster offseason trade that’s already paying dividends, torched the Mavs for a game-high 38 points on 14-of-22 shooting, including 4-of-7 from deep. He added 10 rebounds and 5 assists, flirting with a double-double while anchoring Houston’s defense with 2 blocks. Durant’s third-quarter explosion – 15 points in the period alone, capped by a dagger three over P.J. Washington – ballooned a slim halftime tie into a 88-79 lead entering the fourth.
Jabari Smith Jr. provided the blue-collar complement, stuffing the stat sheet with 18 points, 12 rebounds, and 3 assists. His hustle on the glass (Houston outrebounded Dallas 48-42 overall) was pivotal in second-chance opportunities that swung momentum. Aaron Holiday chipped in 14 points off the pine, including a crucial and-one layup late, while Reed Sheppard dazzled with 12 points on efficient 5-of-6 shooting, his lone three erasing a Mavericks mini-run with 4:12 left.
Houston’s efficiency hummed at 49.2% from the field and 38% from three (12-of-31), but it was their poise at the stripe – 23-of-26 (88.5%) – that proved decisive in the closing minutes. Turnovers were a minor blemish (14 total), but the Rockets’ 22 assists on 43 made baskets highlighted their ball movement against Dallas’ aggressive trapping schemes.
Luka’s Heroics Fall Short as Mavs’ Bench Falters
For the Mavericks, it was the Luka Dončić show – as always – but even his brilliance couldn’t overcome a bench that combined for just 22 points on 8-of-28 shooting. Dončić, nursing a minor ankle tweak from Friday’s loss to the Clippers, erupted for 35 points, 11 assists, and 8 rebounds, nearly willing Dallas back from a 10-point deficit with a 12-2 personal spurt in the fourth. His step-back three with 1:20 remaining cut the gap to 108-106, and a subsequent and-one drew the crowd to its feet, but Houston’s Fred VanVleet (not in the halftime stats but a late-game rock with 10 points and 6 dimes) answered with a pull-up jumper to stem the tide.
Anthony Davis, in his first full season donning Mavs blue after the seismic LA trade, posted a double-double with 24 points and 14 rebounds, swatting 4 shots in a rim-protecting clinic. But the supporting cast struggled: Cooper Flagg, the hyped No. 1 pick, managed 11 points and 6 boards but labored through 4 turnovers in 28 minutes. P.J. Washington added 10 points with timely steals (3 total for Dallas), but the bench woes – highlighted by Brandon Williams’ inefficient 6 points on 2-of-9 – left Dončić shouldering too much.
Dallas shot a respectable 47.1% from the floor but clanked 29-of-40 free throws (72.5%), including Dončić missing two clutch ones with 12 seconds left. Their three-point volume (15-of-39, 38.5%) kept them afloat, but 16 turnovers – many forced by Houston’s length – proved costly in a game decided by possessions.
| Category | Houston Rockets | Dallas Mavericks |
|---|---|---|
| Final Score | 112 | 109 |
| Field Goals | 43-87 (49.2%) | 40-85 (47.1%) |
| 3-Pointers | 12-31 (38.7%) | 15-39 (38.5%) |
| Free Throws | 23-26 (88.5%) | 14-20 (70.0%) |
| Rebounds | 48 | 42 |
| Assists | 25 | 22 |
| Turnovers | 14 | 16 |
| Steals/Blocks | 8/5 | 7/6 |
Halftime Tie Sets Stage for Fourth-Quarter Drama
The first half was a microcosm of the rivalry’s intensity: a 57-57 deadlock after 24 minutes of bruising basketball. Durant’s 20 points on 8-of-13 shooting had Houston up by 5 midway through the second, but Davis (12 points) and Flagg (9 points, 2 blocks) rallied Dallas with paint dominance. Reed Sheppard’s bench spark – 9 points in limited minutes – neutralized a Mavericks surge, while both teams traded blows in transition, combining for 20 fast-break points.
The third quarter tilted Houston’s way, as Smith’s rebounding clinic (8 boards in the frame) led to 8 second-chance points. Dallas hung tough, but a late Durant bucket sent the Rockets to the locker room with momentum.
Implications: Rockets Rising, Mavs in Need of a Spark
This win catapults Houston into a tie for second in the West, just two games back of the surging Nuggets. For Ime Udoka’s squad, it’s validation of their offseason blueprint: Durant’s scoring gravity unlocking a young core that’s maturing before our eyes. Smith Jr., now averaging 16.2 points and 9.8 rebounds, looks every bit the franchise pillar, while Sheppard’s rookie flashes (shooting 42% from deep) add lethal spacing.
Dallas, meanwhile, limps to 3-5 in their last eight, with Dončić’s usage rate (38%) bordering on unsustainable amid Klay Thompson’s ongoing knee rehab. “We’ve got the pieces, but execution’s killing us,” Dončić lamented, ice bag on his ankle. A road trip through the Pacific looms large – wins over the Lakers and Warriors could flip the script, but another slip risks burying them early.
Up next for Houston: a Monday matinee against the Thunder in OKC, where Shai Gilgeous-Alexander awaits. Dallas hosts the Knicks on Wednesday, a chance for redemption in the spotlight. In the NBA’s unforgiving December, every possession counts – and on this night, the Rockets owned just enough of them.