Mavericks big man Christian Wood will face his former team, the Houston Rockets, for the first time when the Texas rivals do battle on Wednesday night in Dallas.
Wood was traded there in June for a package that primarily netted Houston a 2022 first-round draft pick, which was used on Kentucky guard TyTy Washington.
From a Rockets perspective, part of the apparent motivation for the deal was to open playing time for promising second-year center Alperen Sengun. To this point, Sengun has certainly looked worthy of increased minutes: he averages 16.1 points (57.4% FG) and 8.7 rebounds in 26.5 minutes.
Yet, even with those numbers, the Rockets are an NBA worst 2-12. The Mavericks, on the other hand, are 8-5 and again in strong position for an eventual spot in the 2023 playoffs. It helps to have perennial MVP candidate Luka Doncic leading the way, though he’s not expected to play tonight due to maintenance considerations.
With that in mind, if there’s any silver lining for Sengun, Jalen Green and the rest of the Rockets, it’s that Dallas is on night two of a back-to-back after facing the Clippers on Tuesday. The Rockets haven’t played since losing to Los Angeles on Monday.
When and How to Watch
- Date: Wednesday, Nov. 16
- Time: 7:30 p.m. Central
- TV Channel: AT&T SportsNet Southwest, NBA League Pass
- Live Stream: fuboTV (watch for free in Houston markets)
Probable starting lineups
Houston Rockets (2-12)
- Guard: Kevin Porter Jr.
- Guard: Jalen Green
- Forward: Eric Gordon
- Forward: Jabari Smith Jr.
- Center: Alperen Sengun
Dallas Mavericks (8-5)
- Guard: Spencer Dinwiddie
- Guard: Tim Hardaway Jr.
- Forward: Reggie Bullock
- Forward: Dorian Finney-Smith
- Center: Dwight Powell
Projected lineups are based on each team’s most recent game, with the exception of Hardaway for Luka Doncic (out, rest). Wood has primarily come off the bench for Dallas this season.
Injury reports
Houston’s latest injury report lists Jae’Sean Tate out (right ankle soreness) and Bruno Fernando (left knee soreness) as out. On the second night of a back-to-back, Dallas is without Luka Doncic (rest), Maxi Kleber (low back contusion), and JaVale McGee (neck strain).
