DALLAS — The win had finally been secured, but with minutes left, the large numbers in the middle of the scoreboard were no longer the point. James Harden's streak of games scoring 30 was on the line and every finger crossed in Toyota Center was to bring luck to the remainder of the chase.
The Mavericks were trapping the ball out of Harden's hands, which if it were not the strategy from the opening tip, would have been like walking Joe DiMaggio in the eighth inning.
Harden had reached the final minutes on Monday still well short of the 30 he'd need to extend his streak, but as the Rockets finished a 120-104 run past the Mavericks, he tended to unfinished business.