Barea scores 27 as Mavericks beat Rockets 88-86
J.J. Barea scored 27 points, and the Dallas Mavericks beat the Houston Rockets 88-86 for their fifth straight win.
Justin Anderson’s free throw put the Mavericks ahead for good with 2:51 left in the fourth quarter.
The Rockets had the ball down 1 with 29 seconds left, but Dirk Nowitzki stole the ball from James Harden, lifting the Mavericks’ chance to win from 71% to 85%. A basket would have put the Rockets ahead.
During clutch time, the Mavericks outscored the Rockets 6-3.
For the Rockets, Harden scored 26 points.
The Rockets outscored the Mavericks 48-30 in the paint. They did not make a field goal in the last 3:20.