Amen Thompson finished one rebound shy of a triple-double, posting 21 points, nine assists and eight rebounds as the Houston Rockets held off the Dallas Mavericks 111-107 at Toyota Center on January 31.
The victory pushed Houston to 30-17 and strengthened their grip on a Western Conference playoff spot, while Dallas fell to 19-30 despite another explosive performance from rookie sensation Cooper Flagg.
Table of Contents
Final Two Minutes Decide Contest
Houston appeared in control with a four-point cushion after Thompson’s alley-oop dunk made it 109-105 with 1:48 remaining. But Flagg answered with a tough bucket in the lane, then Naji Marshall tied the game at 107 with under a minute to play.
Alperen Sengun regained the lead for the Rockets with a layup at 28.6 seconds. Flagg tried to respond but couldn’t convert in traffic. Tari Eason grabbed the rebound and slammed home a dunk with 14.4 seconds left, extending the margin to 111-107.
Flagg’s contested three-pointer at the buzzer bounced off iron, sealing Houston’s 17th home victory in 21 tries.
Flagg Delivers 34 Points Two Days After Record Night
The 19-year-old collected 34 points and 12 rebounds in 39 minutes, his fifth 30-point performance of the season. Just 48 hours earlier, Flagg set the NBA record for points by a teenager with 49 against Charlotte.
Cooper Flagg – Game Highs
| Points | Rebounds | Assists | FG | FT | Minutes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 34 | 12 | 5 | 13-25 | 7-10 | 39:13 |
The top overall pick is averaging 20.3 points, 6.6 rebounds and 4.2 assists through his rookie campaign.
Thompson Orchestrates Houston Attack
Thompson controlled the tempo throughout, flirting with the first triple-double of his young career. The 22-year-old guard shot 7-of-15 from the field and converted seven of nine free throw attempts while committing zero turnovers in 41 minutes.
Jabari Smith Jr. provided the secondary scoring punch with 19 points on 7-of-13 shooting. Eason added 17 points in 31 minutes off the bench, while Sengun recorded his 18th double-double of the season with 14 points and 14 boards.
Houston Rockets – Top Performers
| Player | MIN | PTS | REB | AST | FG | 3PT | FT | +/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amen Thompson | 41:21 | 21 | 8 | 9 | 7-15 | 0-0 | 7-9 | +15 |
| Jabari Smith Jr. | 33:19 | 19 | 8 | 2 | 7-13 | 3-5 | 2-2 | +12 |
| Tari Eason | 31:17 | 17 | 7 | 3 | 7-15 | 3-5 | 0-0 | +4 |
| Alperen Sengun | 34:49 | 14 | 14 | 7 | 6-20 | 0-0 | 2-4 | -3 |
| Kevin Durant | 38:13 | 13 | 5 | 0 | 6-17 | 1-4 | 0-0 | +13 |
| Josh Okogie | 21:21 | 13 | 5 | 1 | 5-11 | 3-6 | 0-0 | +12 |
Kevin Durant, in his debut season with Houston following the June 2025 trade from Phoenix, finished with 13 points in 38 minutes.
Dallas Gets Contributions Across Roster
Daniel Gafford posted 16 points and 11 rebounds to complement Flagg’s production. Brandon Williams knocked down three triples en route to 13 points, while Klay Thompson hit consecutive three-pointers during a crucial fourth-quarter stretch.
Dallas Mavericks – Leading Scorers
| Player | MIN | PTS | REB | AST | FG | 3PT | FT | +/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cooper Flagg | 39:13 | 34 | 12 | 5 | 13-25 | 1-4 | 7-10 | +23 |
| Daniel Gafford | 28:16 | 16 | 11 | 1 | 7-10 | 0-0 | 2-2 | +1 |
| Brandon Williams | 8:58 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 5-7 | 3-3 | 0-0 | +3 |
| Max Christie | 31:40 | 11 | 2 | 1 | 4-11 | 3-4 | 0-0 | -7 |
| Klay Thompson | 27:34 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 3-9 | 3-7 | 0-0 | +7 |
| Naji Marshall | 31:39 | 8 | 6 | 2 | 3-11 | 0-1 | 2-2 | -18 |
Thompson’s back-to-back triples cut Houston’s lead to 99-91 midway through the fourth quarter, sparking a run that brought Dallas within two points multiple times down the stretch.
Complete Box Score
Team Shooting Statistics
| Team | FG | FG% | 3PT | 3PT% | FT | FT% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dallas | 41-92 | 44.6% | 10-23 | 43.5% | 15-26 | 57.7% |
| Houston | 45-108 | 41.7% | 10-26 | 38.5% | 11-15 | 73.3% |
Team Statistics Breakdown
| Category | Dallas | Houston |
|---|---|---|
| Total Rebounds | 48 | 53 |
| Offensive Rebounds | 11 | 18 |
| Defensive Rebounds | 37 | 35 |
| Assists | 19 | 33 |
| Turnovers | 11 | 6 |
| Steals | 3 | 10 |
| Blocks | 4 | 6 |
| Points in Paint | 58 | 62 |
| Fast Break Points | 9 | 17 |
| Bench Points | 23 | 46 |
| Largest Lead | 2 | 13 |
Quarter Scoring
| Team | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dallas | 28 | 23 | 31 | 25 | 107 |
| Houston | 31 | 28 | 28 | 24 | 111 |
Full Dallas Mavericks Box Score
| Player | MIN | PTS | FG | 3PT | FT | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO | PF |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cooper Flagg | 39:13 | 34 | 13-25 | 1-4 | 7-10 | 12 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 1 |
| P.J. Washington | 25:08 | 4 | 4-9 | 0-1 | 1-1 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 2 |
| Daniel Gafford | 28:16 | 16 | 7-10 | 0-0 | 2-2 | 11 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Naji Marshall | 31:39 | 8 | 3-11 | 0-1 | 2-2 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Max Christie | 31:40 | 11 | 4-11 | 3-4 | 0-0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| Dwight Powell | 6:24 | 0 | 0-1 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Brandon Williams | 8:58 | 13 | 5-7 | 3-3 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Klay Thompson | 27:34 | 9 | 3-9 | 3-7 | 0-0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Caleb Martin | 16:43 | 4 | 1-4 | 0-1 | 1-1 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Moussa Cisse | 13:20 | 3 | 1-1 | 0-0 | 1-1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Ryan Nembhard | 11:03 | 0 | 0-4 | 0-2 | 0-0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Full Houston Rockets Box Score
| Player | MIN | PTS | FG | 3PT | FT | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO | PF |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kevin Durant | 38:13 | 13 | 6-17 | 1-4 | 0-0 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Jabari Smith Jr. | 33:19 | 19 | 7-13 | 3-5 | 2-2 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 2 |
| Alperen Sengun | 34:49 | 14 | 6-20 | 0-0 | 2-4 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| Amen Thompson | 41:21 | 21 | 7-15 | 0-0 | 7-9 | 8 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| Tari Eason | 31:17 | 17 | 7-15 | 3-5 | 0-0 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
| Josh Okogie | 21:21 | 13 | 5-11 | 3-6 | 0-0 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| Clint Capela | 12:42 | 6 | 3-6 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Dorian Finney-Smith | 10:18 | 2 | 1-3 | 0-2 | 0-0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Reed Sheppard | 17:16 | 6 | 3-8 | 0-4 | 0-0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
Injury Concerns Shape Both Rosters
Dallas played without Kyrie Irving (knee surgery), Anthony Davis (finger sprain), and Dereck Lively II (foot surgery). The absence of three rotation players forced head coach Jason Kidd to lean heavily on Flagg and the remaining starters.
Houston is managing without Fred VanVleet, who suffered a season-ending torn ACL in December. Thompson has filled the starting point guard role and delivered his most complete performance to date.
What This Result Means
The Rockets extended their cushion in the playoff race and now sit third in the Western Conference at 30-17. Their 17-4 home record ranks among the best in the NBA.
Dallas continues to struggle away from home at 5-16 and faces an uphill climb to reach the postseason at 19-30. The Mavericks host Boston on Tuesday, while Houston travels to Indiana on Monday. For anyone tracking the Houston Rockets vs Dallas Mavericks match player stats, Thompson’s all-around game and Flagg’s scoring explosion defined a contest that stayed competitive until the final buzzer.
