GDT: Mavs vs Rockets (10/30/16) @ 7:00pm CT

[Underdog]

http://www.espn.com/nba/preview?gameId=400899491

HOUSTON -- Before panic could set in following an awful defensive performance than many predicted would be common given their roster construction, the Houston Rockets delivered on Friday night a performance that produced a measure of redemption.

In their 106-98 victory over the Dallas Mavericks at American Airlines Center in Dallas, the Rockets (1-1) avoided the repeated gouging of their defense that marred their season opener against the Los Angeles Lakers two nights earlier.

The teams will play again on Sunday night in Houston.

The Rockets struggled to contain Mavericks forward Harrison Barnes, who poured in a career-high 31 points, and occasionally labored to limit dribble penetration and supply weakside help.

But in the third quarter they allowed only 17 points and seized control of the game.

"We got stops," Rockets forward Ryan Anderson said. "We did a good job starting the third quarter. We wanted to have a lot of energy and make this game ours, have them play our tempo. We did a great job of that.

"(Barnes) is a talented scorer and they have a good player in him. But I'm glad that we did a good enough job of stopping everybody else and got the win."

It certainly helped the Rockets' cause that Dallas (0-2) played without perennial All-Star forward Dirk Nowitzki, who was sidelined by an illness but is expected to return when the teams square off again on Sunday night at Toyota Center.

Also serving the Rockets well was the second-half commitment to a hastened pace, with the shift in tempo providing the offensive spark needed to complement the defense.

With the Rockets clinging to a 67-65 lead, guard James Harden drilled three consecutive 3-pointers to push the advantage to 10 points and set a comfortable cushion for the remainder of the game.

Pace will serve as a hallmark for the Rockets this season. Their constant adherence to it is a necessary aspect for their success.

Harden finished with 26 points, seven rebounds and eight assists, while Rockets forward Trevor Ariza scored a team-high 27 points on 5-for-7 3-point shooting.

"One of the problems early in this game is we didn't have pace to our offense," Rockets coach Mike D'Antoni said. "And once James picked up the pace for himself and the team, he got off and that helped us a lot."

While the sample size of two games shouldn't merit too much concern, Dallas must be mindful of its exposed perimeter defense.

The Indiana Pacers torched the Mavericks behind the arc in the opener for both teams earlier this week, hitting on 10 of 19 3-point shots. The Rockets followed suit with 15-of-32 shooting from behind the arc.

Having allowed two opponents to make 25 of 51 3-pointers grabbed the Mavericks' attention and set in motion a specific focus for the rematch.

"We've just got to do a better job with communication," Barnes said to Mavs.com. "You know, we either got too sucked into the paint or guys were over helping. And with a team like this, they shoot a lot of threes.

"If you let one guy get going, then you start reacting to him and they're getting wide-open dunks. So, we'll have to look at some tape before Sunday."