Rockets may have an unforeseen advantage in pivotal matchup vs Mavericks

As the Houston Rockets have now ascended to a 3-2 record on the shoulders of a magnificent offensive stretch, their 3-point shooting has been the most pleasantly surprising piece of their offensive rejuvenation.

As it stands, the team is first in the NBA in that category, shooting at a remarkable 45.4% from beyond the arc, and their continued ability to shoot well from that area of the court could allow them to win the numbers game against a struggling Mavericks team.

Dallas, who has begun the season with a 2-4 record, are looking for a major win to get themselves back on track in a Western Conference that could rapidly slip away from them. Houston, in their attempt to prevent that, must lean into their emerging offensive skill-set.

The Rockets have a major advantage at the 3-point line over the Mavericks

As the Rockets dropped their first two games, to the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Detroit Pistons, it was clear that the team was adjusting to their new offensive look, having added a superstar scorer in Kevin Durant and lost their starting point guard in Fred VanVleet.

Yet, now having won three games in a row in dominant fashion, it is clear that Durant has injected a new life into this team's offense. Durant himself is shooting 40.9% from 3-point range, averaging 27.2 points, 5.4 rebounds and 1.8 assists. Sengun is shooting an absurd 52.9% from beyond the arc. Okogie is shooting 63.6%.

In short, although this astounding clip will not hold up for the duration of the season, Houston has quickly revealed themselves as one of the most dangerous offensive teams in the league.

The Mavericks, meanwhile, have fallen short of expectations. Having already moved D'Angelo Russell out of the starting point guard and injected the ill-suited Cooper Flagg, the team has struggled heavily to establish their spacing. Their combination of Anthony Davis and P.J Washington in their frontcourt has not helped in this facet of their game either.

They are currently shooting at a 32.8% clip from beyond the arc: good for 23rd in the NBA.

While the Rockets normally can depend upon their bully-ball style to dominate the paint, that might not be possible against Dallas's super-sized defensive front.

Yet, they can clearly depend upon their perimeter shooting this season, and, in the modern NBA, the numbers game has quickly become the most important battle to win.

Houston is clearly poised to win that on Monday night against the Mavericks, and it could make all the difference as they attempt to extend their winning streak.