Dallas and Houston match up to return to action
Houston Rockets (40-24, sixth in the Western Conference) vs. Dallas Mavericks (40-27, seventh in the Western Conference)
Lake Buena Vista, Florida; Friday, 9 p.m. EDT
LINE: 0; over/under is 226
BOTTOM LINE: The Dallas Mavericks resume play against the Houston Rockets.
The Mavericks are 10-3 against division opponents. Dallas ranks fifth in the Western Conference shooting 36.9% from deep, led by Seth Curry shooting 45.3% from 3-point range.
The Rockets are 7-4 against the rest of their division. Houston ranks seventh in the NBA scoring 14.7 fast break points per game. Russell Westbrook leads the Rockets averaging 4.8.
The Rockets won the last matchup between these two squads 128-121 on Jan. 31. James Harden scored 35 points to help lead Houston to the victory.
TOP PERFORMERS: Luka Doncic is shooting 46.1% and averaging 28.7 points. Kristaps Porzingis is averaging nine rebounds and 18.3 points per game over the last 10 games for Dallas.
Harden has shot 43.5% and is averaging 34.4 points for the Rockets. Westbrook is averaging 23.3 points and 6.6 rebounds while shooting 42.8% over the last 10 games for Houston.
LAST 10 GAMES: Mavericks: 6-4, averaging 116.3 points, 46.5 rebounds, 25.7 assists, 7.8 steals and 5.9 blocks per game while shooting 46.2% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 109.9 points on 46.3% shooting.
Rockets: 6-4, averaging 117.9 points, 41.1 rebounds, 22.1 assists, 9.7 steals and 5.9 blocks per game while shooting 46.9% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 113.9 points on 46.3% shooting.
INJURIES: Mavericks: Dwight Powell: out for season (achilles), Courtney Lee: out (calf).
Rockets: Austin Rivers: day to day (personal).
___
The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.