‘It Feels Good’: Anthony Davis, Max Christie Power Dallas Mavericks To End Losing Streak vs. Houston Rockets

Grant AfsethJanuary 4, 2026January 4, 2026

Anthony Davis, Dallas Mavericks, NBA, Houston Rockets

Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images

The Dallas Mavericks leaned into their defensive identity and rediscovered timely execution Saturday night, snapping a four-game losing streak with a 110-104 victory over the Houston Rockets at American Airlines Center.

Behind a dominant two-way night from Anthony Davis and a career-best efficiency performance from Max Christie, Dallas controlled the game for long stretches, weathered a late push, and improved to 2-1 in the season series against Houston. The win also marked Dallas’ sixth victory in its last seven home games.

“It felt good that we won,” Davis said. “Individual stuff doesn’t really matter to me. It’s going to be about winning. It feels good to get our first win of the new year. We’ve been struggling to get some wins over the last few games, so to come out with good intensity, great energy, we got down early, but we made a run, got some defensive stops, guys made shots, and we were able to bounce back and kind of just hold the lead.”

Houston entered the night riding a four-game winning streak and sitting near the top of the Western Conference, but Dallas dictated terms defensively, holding the Rockets to 41-of-106 shooting (38.7%) — Houston’s second-lowest field-goal percentage of the season.

Defense Sets The Tone Early And Late

The opening minutes were chaotic. Houston struck first behind transition pressure and aggressive rebounding, while Dallas absorbed contact and turnovers as Cooper Flagg picked up two fouls in the first four minutes. The Rockets briefly built an early cushion, leaning on Kevin Durant shot-making and second-chance opportunities.

Dallas steadied itself through defense. Davis erased multiple early attempts at the rim, including a chasedown block on Durant, and the Mavericks began to slow the tempo. Even as Houston continued to generate extra possessions, Dallas limited clean looks and kept the deficit manageable through physical half-court defense.

That defensive posture carried through the night. The Mavericks finished with 10 blocks — their third double-digit block game of the season — and have now held four opponents under 40 percent shooting this year, winning all four.

“That’s a win if you break even with this group,” head coach Jason Kidd said. “They lead the league by a big margin, and we still gave up 17 offensive rebounds. We did our part. The 17 offensive rebounds didn’t hurt us. They didn’t capitalize. We got lucky there. But they’re one of the best giving themselves second chances. Up to the fourth quarter, we were doing our part being able to get rebound and going out and playing with pace.”

Dallas also held Houston to 10-of-41 shooting from three-point range (24.4 percent), forcing rushed decisions late even as Durant carried the scoring burden.

Second-Quarter Shift and Third-Quarter Control

After trailing early, Dallas flipped the game early in the second quarter. Flagg returned from foul trouble and opened the period with a strong drive, sparking a 10-0 run that erased the deficit and injected energy into the building. The Mavericks’ ball movement improved, the floor opened up, and Houston’s efficiency dipped as Dallas contested nearly every catch.

“You’re not always going to score 30 every night,” Kidd said. “He got in foul trouble, and that probably took away some of his rhythm, but I thought the maturity of being able to do other things for his teammates—finding them for threes, making plays, rebounding the ball—was big. He competed, and he helped us win.”

By halftime, Dallas had wrestled control, and the third quarter became its most complete stretch of the night. The Mavericks leaned into interior scoring and transition opportunities, repeatedly converting stops into points. Davis dominated the paint, Christie punished closeouts, and Dallas’ bench steadied the game as Houston struggled to string together stops.

Dallas closed the third quarter on a run, stretching the margin to 87-75 and setting up a fourth quarter that would test both composure and execution.

Anthony Davis Controls The Game On Both Ends

Davis delivered one of the most complete performances of the season: 26 points on 9-of-15 shooting, 12 rebounds, three assists, and five blocks. His impact extended far beyond the box score, particularly during a decisive sequence late in the fourth quarter.

With Dallas clinging to an eight-point lead and Houston crashing the offensive glass, Davis stonewalled a Tari Eason drive at the rim with 2:59 remaining. He then secured the ball, dribbled upcourt, and found Klay Thompson in the left corner for a three that pushed the lead back to double digits.

“We came out with good intensity, great energy,” Davis said. “We got down early, but we made a run, got some defensive stops, guys made shots, and we were able to bounce back and kind of just hold the lead. Anytime we can do that—especially against a team that’s been playing as well as they have—it’s big for us.”

The night also carried historical significance. Davis recorded his 36th career game with at least 25 points, 10 rebounds, and five blocks, tying Tim Duncan for the seventh-most such performances in NBA history. It was also his sixth 25-point, 10-rebound game of the season, placing him among the league leaders in that category.

Max Christie’s Aggression Sparks Dallas

Christie was the Mavericks’ offensive catalyst, finishing with 24 points on an ultra-efficient 10-of-13 shooting, including 4-of-6 from beyond the arc. It was the most efficient 20-point game of his career and capped a three-game stretch in which he has totaled 67 points — the first time he has ever scored 60-plus points across a three-game span.

Just as impactful were Christie’s three dunks, a rare sight that energized the bench and the crowd alike.

“Three might be the most of my career,” Christie said. “It felt good to be athletic out there. Everybody was telling me that. But it felt good just to be athletic, be able to attack the rim with force, and get a couple dunks.”

That aggression was intentional.

“Just having an aggressive mentality,” Christie said. “Being able to flip that switch where I can be aggressive. Obviously, if I’m able to score, that’s great, but I think it opens things up for my teammates as well. Being able to shoot the three and finish around the rim opens up my game, and defenders play me differently. That allows me to read them and get my teammates open.”

With Houston closing fast in the final minute, Christie delivered the game’s finishing blow. After faking a perimeter look, he drove uncontested to the rim for a dunk with 1:07 remaining, restoring a seven-point cushion.

“He just has the utmost confidence,” Davis said. “We instill so much confidence in him to shoot the basketball, to attack the basket and finish, to make the right play. He’s shooting the ball extremely well at a very hot clip. We actually get mad at him when he doesn’t shoot the ball.”

Christie’s recent surge has been even more pronounced when starting. In the starting lineup, he is averaging 13.2 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 2.2 assists, compared to 9.8 points per game off the bench.

“We talked about him being more aggressive,” Kidd said of Christie. “You saw that tonight—not just from three, but being able to get to the rim. I thought he was great offensively and defensively for us.”

Cooper Flagg Navigates The Rookie Wall

While the scoring efficiency was uneven, Cooper Flagg again impacted the game in multiple ways. Flagg finished with 10 points, seven rebounds, six assists, two steals, and a block, recording his 15th career 10-5-5 game in just 35 NBA appearances.

Flagg picked up two fouls in the first four minutes and sat out the remainder of the opening quarter, but responded by opening the second quarter with a strong drive that sparked a 10-0 Dallas run and flipped the momentum.

“When you’re used to playing 38 games and you come in and it’s not even halfway through the NBA season, it can be a lot,” Davis said. “We put a lot of pressure on him. We ask him to do a lot. Every rookie kind of hits that stretch. But he’s playing good basketball, and it’s our job to help him through that.”

Kidd acknowledged pregame and afterward that Flagg is confronting the physical and mental grind of an NBA rookie season, noting his heavy workload and minutes played.

“He’s playing a lot of minutes,” Kidd said. “For the great ones, they touch the rookie wall. They don’t run from it. They don’t hide from it. They find a way to go through it, around it, or over it. It’s not going to move.”

Kidd added later, “You’ve got to embrace it. That’s just a mental thing. For the great ones, they touch it. They don’t run from it. They find a way to go over it or through it or around it. It’s not going to move.”

Despite shooting 3-of-12, Flagg contributed across the board and remains the league leader among rookies in total points and total assists this season.

Houston Rockets Short-Handed But Competitive

The Rockets were dealt a major blow just 1:04 into the game when center Alperen Şengün exited with a sprained right ankle. Already without Steven Adams, Houston was forced to rely on smaller lineups and perimeter creation for most of the night.

Even shorthanded, the Rockets remained competitive behind Kevin Durant’s shot-making. Durant poured in 34 points while playing the entire second half with four fouls, shouldering the offensive load as Houston searched for consistent scoring elsewhere. Amen Thompson added 20 points and 12 rebounds, while Tari Eason recorded his first double-double of the season with 19 points and 10 rebounds.

Houston consistently applied pressure through second-chance opportunities, grabbing 17 offensive rebounds and outscoring Dallas 15-0 in that category. The Rockets repeatedly extended possessions and kept the game within reach deep into the fourth quarter despite their shooting struggles.

Dallas’ rim protection ultimately prevented those extra chances from flipping the outcome. The Mavericks finished with 10 blocks and forced Houston into difficult finishes at the rim, limiting efficiency even as the Rockets continued to generate additional looks.

From Dallas’ perspective, the challenge reinforced how narrow the margin for error can be against a physical opponent, regardless of who is available.

“Every team in the NBA is an NBA team,” Christie said. “It’s very matchup dependent. It doesn’t matter what the record is — it’s hard to win in this league regardless of who you’re playing.”

Bench Production And Paint Control Prove Decisive

Dallas received 41 points from its bench, marking the 19th time this season the Mavericks have topped 40 bench points. Brandon Williams led the reserves with 15 points, providing timely scoring during stretches when Houston threatened to swing momentum.

Christie emphasized the collective focus required against Houston’s physical front line.

“They’re the best offensive rebounding team in history if you go off the stats, but I think for the most part we did a good job of limiting their offensive rebounds and making it difficult for KD,” Christie said. “It’s a focus for all of us, especially going into this game in particular. You got Capela down there. He’s a beast. Tari, Amen Thompson, Jabari — they’re all crashing. It’s not just on the bigs to rebound the ball. It’s on all of us.”

Even with Houston’s rebounding edge, Dallas controlled the paint and shot 55.0% from the field, compared to Houston’s 38.7% — the Rockets’ lowest shooting mark of the season.

The Mavericks shot 55.0% from the field, controlled the paint, and closed the final minutes with discipline — a formula that delivered a much-needed win.

Dallas now heads into a three-game road trip beginning Tuesday in Sacramento, carrying renewed confidence built on defense, balance, and resilience — the same traits that defined Saturday night’s victory.

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Grant Afseth

Senior Writer

Grant Afseth is a Senior Writer for DallasHoopsJournal.com, where he leads in-depth coverage of the Mavericks, Wings, and more. Between a focus on the latest news, closer looks at games, front office strategy, and more, Afseth provides objective coverage. Afseth contributes broader NBA coverage across platforms and has been cited in national outlets for his reporting and analysis. With nearly a decade of journalism experience, Afseth has covered the NBA and WNBA for multiple major outlets, including Athlon Sports, BallIsLife, Sportskeeda, and RG.org. He previously reported on the Indiana Pacers for CNHI’s Kokomo Tribune and the Mavericks for FanNation.

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