Shen Jing played superstar ball with 26+11, and Durant only had 3 leaders left. One Rockets player was absent, exposing his shortcomings.

The Rockets have a very deep lineup this season. Even in the absence of VanVleet, the team still maintains an upward momentum. In the game against the Mavericks, the outstanding Jabari Smith Jr. was absent due to injury. Uduka made adjustments to the starting lineup. Ethan entered the main lineup and used the third starting lineup of the season. Ethan has also performed very well in recent games. The Mavericks are ranked at the bottom of the Western Conference and have limited strength. With the Rockets' current ability and staffing, one less player will not affect the overall situation.

Amen Thompson became the main point of attack for the Rockets in the first quarter. Facing the rookie No. 1 pick Flagg, he showed his experience and physical advantages, scoring 8 points in a row. Flagg's pass was directly seen through by Shen Jing, and the mistake was counterattacked. In the second unit, Uduka moved Tate into the rotation. The Rockets had a mediocre three-point shot in this game. They made 1 of 6 shots in the first quarter. Only Amen Thompson scored three points. At the same time, they made many mistakes. Shepard actually missed three shots. The Rockets underestimated the opponent.

His performance in the first quarter was average. This was not accidental. Smith could not open up the space with a three-pointer. His defense was irreplaceable. His ability to help defend was something that Ethan did not possess. His opponent, Flagg, the top pick, played with ease. Uduka asked Capela to enter the rotation early to change the space for interior defense. The rebounds from the Twin Towers allowed the Rockets to reverse the situation. Shen Jing also changed his tactics of playing from the outside in the previous games and frequently rushed to the basket to cause damage. Ethan and Shepard also opened three-pointers, leading the score.

The Rockets' offense in this game relied entirely on fighting. Durant's shooting percentage was in line with the entire team. His 12 offensive rebounds in the half were the Rockets' magic weapon to maintain the lead. The two substitute centers Adams and Capela each grabbed 3 offensive rebounds. Before this game, the Rockets ranked first in the league in three-point shooting. This match against the Mavericks was subpar. Ethan's two three-pointers and Amen Thompson's all-around performance ensured the Rockets' scoring ability, but the team's defense was not as good as during the winning streak.

Durant became the Rockets' drag player in this game. He missed many open shots. He made 6 of 17 shots and 2 of 8 three-pointers. In the third quarter, the Rockets led by 7 points and had a chance to take away the game. Durant's 1 of 5 was the epitome of the Rockets' offense. The outside felt cold and there was no stable vitality on the outside. The advantages of height and lineup did not translate into a big lead. Durant's performance in this game was not accidental. It was directly related to Jabari Smith's absence. The forward lacked a partner to share the pressure for him, which exposed his shortcomings.

In the last quarter, Durant finally found his touch and hit three-pointers in two consecutive rounds. The Rockets' offense was hit or miss. Durant scored 21 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists, and Shen Jing scored 26 points. With 11 rebounds and 6 assists, his score was the highest in the past 5 games. During the stalemate stage, he stabilized the situation with two single points and played superstar ball to help the Rockets narrowly defeat the Mavericks and win 4 consecutive victories. Amen Thompson had 27 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists. Judging from the data and role, Durant can only be the third player now. His strength is not as good as before and he cannot score consecutive points in high-intensity games.