The Mavericks lost again, plagued by too many injuries. Today, besides Doncic, Irving and Thompson were also out. The Mavericks ultimately lost 100-110 to the Kings on the road. The Kings have been struggling recently, suffering a six-game losing streak. Facing the Mavericks in this game can be considered as stopping their decline. Currently, the Mavericks' record continues to drop, with a record of 20 wins and 13 losses, ranking fourth in the West. The Clippers, fifth in the West, are very close. They are only 0.5 games apart. If the Clippers win against the Spurs in the next game, they will have a chance to return to the top half of the West.
Both the Mavericks and the Rockets have fallen behind recently. The Mavericks due to injuries, while the Rockets lack a core player who can score in critical moments. This is why the Rockets have targeted Fox recently. Let's be honest, Fox is indeed quite strong. He seems to be wasting his talent in the Kings. If Fox and Van Vleet were to swap teams, the Rockets would be invincible. Today, the Kings started poorly, but despite the Mavericks' injury-ridden lineup, Dinwiddie took responsibility, along with Washington's heroic performance, and the Mavericks led the Kings by 14 points in the first quarter.
In the second quarter, the gap in strength between the two sides became obvious. Dinwiddie's shooting went cold, and Washington stopped his offensive momentum. Instead, the Kings gained momentum, with Monk and DeRozan firing on all cylinders, Fox both organizing and attacking, and Sabonis wreaking havoc. The Kings once overtook the Mavericks under his leadership. However, before the end of the first half, the Mavericks made a small run, and the Kings still trailed by 4 points. In the second half, the Kings became unstoppable, with Fox being unstoppable. He and Sabonis opened up both inside and outside, and the Kings quickly overtook the Mavericks by 6 points.
In the final quarter, the Kings' offense flowed like mercury pouring down. Fox hit another three-pointer, scored another two points, and assisted Lyles in a three-pointer. The Kings had a 13-point lead, and the game was basically without suspense. In the entire game, Dinwiddie of the Mavericks scored 30 points with an 8-for-18 shooting rate, while Washington scored 28 points but it was still not enough to save the day. On the Kings' side, Fox scored 33 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists with only 1 turnover, including 3-for-7 from three-point range. Sabonis had 17 points and 16 rebounds, Monk had 14 points, and Lyles had 14 points.
Fox is really the kind of player the Rockets should go all-in for. After Harden left, the Rockets' backcourt has been a mess. Jalen Green has been developing for four years but is still inconsistent, and Van Vleet, who is earning the highest salary this season, has greatly disappointed head coach Udoka. He is also too short. Speaking of the Clippers, if the Mavericks continue to give them a hard time before Leonard returns, and then the Clippers rise to fourth in the West, I think this would be a huge boost to Harden's reputation.
Harden has once again proven himself in the Clippers this season. His annual salary of 35 million will definitely see an increase in the next offseason. Now, leading the team to the top four as a single-core, Harden's selection to the All-Star team is also stable. Because the image of a lone hero is what Americans love. Amidst the doubts from the outside world in the absence of Leonard, Harden has step by step proven himself and laid the foundation for the Clippers, which is indeed quite appealing. This may also be the outcome Harden expects, as this year is his stage.
Harden has once again achieved the tactical status he had in the Rockets. He has seized this opportunity to tell the world that he is the system itself. Because Powell and Zubac have both set career highs in statistics with Harden around. This is definitely a surprise for some teams, as many players fear that new additions will steal their stats. However, there are few players like Harden who can help improve their stats upon joining. Whether Harden continues to stay with the Clippers or chooses a new team in the next offseason, he can stand undefeated based on this year's achievements.