Rockets steal a victory against Mavericks — literally

Alperen Sengun had five steals, Fred VanVleet had six and the Rockets as a team logged 17 steals. That's an especially impressive total considering the team was missing Tari Eason (1.9 steals per game) and Amen Thompson (1.1 steals).

The rampant theft was a huge reason the Rockets stole a victory. They scored 20 points off 20 Mavericks turnovers, while the Mavs scored 11 points off of 12 giveaways from Houston. Five of those Houston turnovers happened in the final five minutes, with the Rockets holding a double-digit lead.

The Rockets' active hands balanced out the hot shooting from the Mavericks' guards, who combined to shoot 26-for-50. They also combined for 16 turnovers, with Klay Thompson the worst offender with five. 

Dallas shot 53.3 percent from the field and 39.3 percent from three-point range, much better than Houston's 47.2 percent and 32 percent, but the Rockets got 14 more field-goal attempts and seven more free throws, simply dominating in possessions.

Sengun doesn't block a lot of shots for a center, but his defense is somewhat underrated because of how well he swipes the ball (43 steals, putting him in the top 25 in the NBA). Quick hands help in other ways. The Mavericks blocked 12 shots Wednesday night, but they only took possession after five of them, thanks to the Rockets' hustle and blocks going out of bounds.

The Mavericks have a slim margin for error with Luka Doncic out with a calf strain. Allowing 17 steals is well outside the margins.