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The Dallas Mavericks desperately need Luka Doncic in their lineup.
The Mavericks, who entered fourth in the Western Conference, suffered a 110-99 loss to the Houston Rockets on Wednesday at the Toyota Center in Houston.
Dallas fell to 20-14, suffering its third straight loss, while the Rockets improved to 22-11, avoiding a potential three-game skid.
The Mavericks have struggled without Luka Doncic, going 1-3 since the star guard suffered a strained left calf during their 105-99 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Dec. 25.
Fans have expressed concern over the Mavericks' performance as they eagerly await the return of Luka Doncic:
Klay Thompson finished the night with 16 points, five rebounds and one steal while shooting 4-of-8 from beyond the arc in the loss. Kyrie Irving added 16 points, seven rebounds, two assists and three steals.
On the other hand, Dillon Brooks had 19 points and six rebounds, while Jalen Green added 22 points, five rebounds and one steal in the win.
Thompson started his scoring with a 24-foot 3-pointer assisted by PJ Washington, which was quickly followed by a 25-foot 3-pointer to give him his first six points of the first quarter.
Brooks had a quiet first half, shooting 3-of-6 from the field as Houston took a 61-52 halftime lead.
Despite Dallas cutting the deficit to 23 points in the third quarter to make it 89-75, it wasn't enough to make a big dent in Houston's lead.
The Mavericks will look to bounce back when they take on the red-hot Cleveland Cavaliers (29-4) on Friday.
