The Dallas Mavericks recovered from a 22-point deficit to defeat the Houston Rockets in a 147-138 OT victory and eliminate Houston from postseason contention.
This was a must-win game for the Rockets, who led the Mavericks by eight entering the fourth quarter but slowly let their lead slip. With 8.3 seconds remaining in regulation, Rockets center Jabari Smith Jr. missed a crucial free throw to extend Houston's lead to four.
Mavericks center P.J. Washington grabbed the rebound from Smith Jr.’s miss and handed the ball to Mavericks guard Dante Exum, who pushed the floor, finding star guard Luka Doncic near the Mavericks logo. Doncic was quickly doubled, leaving Exum open on the three-point line. Doncic realized he had limited space and passed the ball back to a wide-open Exum, who rose for three at the buzzer and sent the game to OT.
DANTE EXUM SENDS GAME TO OT WITH BUZZER BEATER THREE 😱 pic.twitter.com/KK6jyj1QTy
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) April 7, 2024
Exum’s dagger changed the game's momentum and was the highlight of the Mavericks’ comeback. At one point, they trailed Houston by 22 points, their biggest comeback of the season. Dallas outscored Houston 18-7 in the five-minute OT period, and Houston's postseason hopes fell apart right before their eyes. While Exum’s dagger sent the game to OT, Dallas guard Kyrie Irving gave Houston problems the entire game.
Irving finished with 48 points to lead all scorers, seven rebounds and two assists. His counterpart, Luka Doncic, also played an outstanding game, recording 37 points, 12 assists, and nine rebounds, one away from a triple-double.
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