Dallas still has a game to play first. The Mavericks host Oklahoma City before Houston comes to town, and the injury report coming out of that game matters more for Friday than the result does. Kyrie Irving was listed as questionable with a left knee issue going into the Thunder game. Whether he plays there, and how he comes out of it, decides how much backcourt help Cooper Flagg has against Houston.
Flagg is the reason Dallas is worth watching. In the win at Miami he had 29 points, a career-high 11 assists, 5 steals and 3 blocks, the most complete game of his young career. The problem is the roster around him. Dereck Lively II, Santi Aldama, Naji Marshall, Tarik Biberovic and Sergio de Larrea have all been listed out, so Dallas is badly short at forward and center. Flagg is carrying a lot of the frontcourt by himself.
The split so far has been strange. As of now, Dallas has won both of its road games, at Indiana and at Miami, and lost both games against Texas teams by double digits: 18 to Houston and 16 to San Antonio at home. Houston has played its last 3 on the road and scored at least 114 in every one of its 5 wins. With Dallas this short on bodies inside, the Rockets don't have to be at full strength to control the glass.
Tipoff at American Airlines Center is 7:00 PM CT. What matters most is the injury report on both sides: whether Sengun is back, whether Irving plays, and how many Dallas forwards return after the Thunder game. If Houston gets its center back and Dallas stays this thin, the Mavericks will be in for a long night.