The Rockets’ big win over the Mavericks proves they are built differently this year

On a night when Kevin Durant couldn’t buy a basket and Jabari Smith Jr. was in street clothes, The Houston Rockets have proven something much more valuable from one victory – they proved their depth.

Durant was brought in to be the Rockets’ leader and closer. But a win over the Mavericks on a night when he shot 6-for-18 from the floor, including 2-for-8 from distance, shows just how balanced this roster has become. Late in the game, Alperen Sengun made a basket offensively and Amen Thompson came up with a big point defensively. Thompson led Houston with a record 27 points.

It felt a bit like the moment when a parent finally starts to slow down and realize that their kids are mature enough to take care of things on their own. On a night when Durant was far from his best, taking the fewest shots of any game this season, Houston’s young core was able to step into his shoes.

“No one wants to lose, and we are the leaders of this team now. So we just need to take over after a while,” Sengun said. “(Durant) was missing all of that, but when the time came, he just showed up. We just want to win, and no matter what, I just wanted to get that point.”

The Rockets’ depth shines early

Nothing illustrates the Rockets’ balance more than the fact that they don’t have a top-25 scorer, but they do have seven guys averaging double figures — tied with the Phoenix Suns for the most in the Western Conference. That includes Josh Okogie, who was once considered nothing more than a throw-in during the offseason.

With Smith out with a sprained ankle, it was Tari Eason who stepped up, scoring 15 points on 6-for-9 shooting in his first start of the year. A career 35% 3-point shooter, Eason has quietly hit 56% of his 3-pointers this season.

Reed Shepard had a rough night on both ends as he continues to deal with his growing pains. He was replaced in the second half by Aaron Holiday, who had a key and one late in the third quarter to give the Rockets their biggest lead of the night. Holiday’s 10 minutes, which appeared in only half of the games, was the highlight of the season, as he was able to provide some stability.

Steven Adams was a plus-6 and Clint Capela was a plus-5 in limited minutes off the bench. Right now, the Rockets are getting contributions from all over the place, making it difficult to stick with just one player. That’s the makeup of a championship team, where someone else can step up and beat you every night.

The Mavericks aren’t the toughest competition, but it was still an impressive win considering Durant’s worst performance of the season and Sengun shooting just 5-for-13 in the first half despite Dallas missing two centers. Houston still found a way to shut it down — a sign of how far this group has come.

“We had two late-game situations in the first two games of the year,” Durant said. “We didn’t pass those tests, but we saw some things we can work on and get better at, and we made good plays down the stretch tonight.”

This was it the Rockets’ most impressive four-game winning streak — a game they probably would have lost a year ago. That’s why Durant was brought in to start, to help Houston win close games like Monday’s against the Mavericks. But just six games into the season, the Rockets have already found ways to win without him.