On Sunday, down 15 points to Portland, the Mavericks caught fire in the fourth quarter. They were a team running on post-Porzingis trade adrenaline.
On Monday night, down 15 in Houston, the Mavericks stayed there and lost by 16. Blame it on the hideous nature of a back-to-back schedule, but Dallas looked more like a team running on empty.
There's nothing surprising about that, nor is there anything bad about it. In its own way, losing to the Rockets was as encouraging as the thrill ride rookie Luka Doncic provided Sunday afternoon against the Blazers.
A team led by the shoo-in Rookie of the Year should not shy away from long shots.