Doncic, who had dragged an otherwise unremarkable Mavericks team through the Western Conference, became the face of their failure. Dallas coach Jason Kidd was forced to come out and defend his maligned star, even though without Doncic, the Mavericks were a faded Kyrie Irving and a bunch of role players.

Dallas Mavericks fans -- and most of the NBA world -- are still reeling from the trade deadline deal that sent franchise centerpiece Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for Anthony Davis.

The Dallas Mavericks returned to downtown Dallas to host their I-45 rival, the Houston Rockets, in a Saturday matinee. The Mavericks reportedly beefed up security after alleged death threats against GM Nico Harrison in the post-Luka Doncic era.

The Houston Rockets play against the Dallas Mavericks at American Airlines Center . The Houston Rockets are spending $5,298,154 per win while the Dallas Mavericks are spending $6,