League Pass Showcase: Rockets vs. Mavericks (3 ET)

Here are five key facts to keep in mind before the game starts:

1. Anthony Davis could be ready for Mavs debut: There’s a chance that Davis will suit up for his first game as a Dallas Maverick after he was acquired in the blockbuster trade with the Los Angeles Lakers last weekend. In his 42 appearances with Los Angeles this season, Davis averaged 25.7 points, 11.9 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 1.3 steals and 2.1 blocks in 34.3 minutes. In his last full game as a Laker on Jan. 27, he had a monster double-double with 42 points, 23 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 blocks.

2. Daniel Gafford’s dominance in the middle: Gafford seems like the prototypical big that Anthony Davis has been yearning to play next to for the last several years. After being acquired by Dallas from Washington at the Trade Deadline last season, Gafford has been an absolute force on the interior for the Mavericks. In 49 games in 2024-25, he ranks third in the NBA in field goal percentage (69.9), second in true shooting percentage (71.8) and fifth in blocks (1.8) in only 22.0 minutes per game.

3. Max Christie fitting in seamlessly: It’s been less than a week since the trade shocked the NBA world, but Christie has put the noise aside and stepped into Dallas’ rotation with confidence. He played 32 minutes in his team debut on Feb. 4, scoring 15 points on 5-for-8 shooting while going a perfect 4-for-4 from 3-point range, adding nine rebounds, three assists and a steal. In the Mavericks’ win on Thursday over the Celtics, the third-year guard scored another 15 points (6-for-13 FGs) with six rebounds, four assists and a block in 30 minutes.

4. Jalen Green on the rise: Green enters Saturday’s matchup as the 30th leading scorer in the NBA, pouring in 21.5 points in 33.2 minutes per game. Over his last six games, the fourth-year pro has upped his scoring to 23.5 points in 36.2 minutes, along with five rebounds and 3.7 assists. The playmaking has been there, too, as he’s dished out five assists in four of his last five outings.

5. Houston, we have a problem: The Rockets have lost five in a row for the first time this season, and they hadn’t lost more than two consecutive games all year until this point. They’ve had some key guys miss time over this stretch, but dropping winnable games, including their game against Brooklyn after leading by four with less than ten seconds remaining in the game, should have Houston fired up when they take on Dallas.