2 Studs, 1 dud from Rockets' much-needed win over Mavericks

The Houston Rockets needed a win against the Mavericks.

They got one.

This was not a foregone conclusion. The Rockets were in peril with Tari Eason sidelined by an injury and Amen Thompson serving a suspension. They responded and walked away with a 110-99 victory.

Holding Dallas to 99 points is an accomplishment. Granted, Luka Doncic is injured, but the point holds - with Kyrie Irving surrounded by shooters, the Mavericks are dangerous. The Rockets still held them at bay.

Here are two studs who helped them do it - and one dud who couldn't.

Stud: Alperen Sengun

Do you like well-rounded stat lines? If so, you'll want to keep reading.

Against the Mavericks, Sengun had 23 points, 6 rebounds, 5 steals and 4 assists. Those are great numbers, but one stat distinctly stands out.

Five steals is a gaudy number for anyone. It's a particularly robust number for a big man. In this contest, Sengun's hands were more active than Elon Musk on X. His ability to swat balls out of hands has helped him thrive as a roamer on the defensive end in 2024-25.

Still, Sengun was reliable on both ends in this game. He shot 9/16 from the field. At times, it felt like Sengun couldn't miss. Early-season concerns about his touch around the rim have been alleviated. Sengun has resumed his status as an automatic bucket inside of three feet:

That makes him a certified stud.

Stud: Cam Whitmore

Cam Whitmore continues to confound Rockets fans.

He practically refuses to pass. That's his most glaring flaw. He's also inconsistent on the defensive end. Still, Whitmore's ability to score remains undeniable.

Against Dallas, he had 18 points in just 24 minutes. Whitmore was 7/9 from the field. To say that he couldn't miss would barely be an exaggeration.

Whitmore seemed frustrated in a postgame interview. He doesn't feel like 24 minutes sufficiently reflects his talent level. That's fair, but Whitmore does need to plug some holes in his game if he wants a major role on this team.

Yet, it must be a deep internal struggle for Ime Udoka. Whitmore can score the ball with remarkable efficiency. It will be interesting to see if he carves out a more meaningful role for himself as the season continues.

Dud: Fred VanVleet

Perhaps it's unfair to VanVleet to classify his performance as a dud. He had 7 assists and 6 steals in this contest. VanVleet did what he could to help the team win despite his shot not falling.

The shot certainly was not falling. He scored 5 points on 1/8 shooting, including a 0/4 mark from long-range. Unfortunately, this has been a trend for VanVleet throughout 2024-25.

On the season, VanVleet has a True Shooting % (TS%) of just 49.7. That includes a 32.0% mark from long-range. It's unclear whether this is a prolonged shooting slump or a sign of age-related decline.

Here's hoping it's the former, but in the meantime, the Rockets were lucky to get this win.