Anthony Davis bounces back from rough game with 29 points as Mavs beat Rockets 122-109

DALLAS (AP) — Anthony Davis scored 29 points and the Dallas Mavericks beat the Houston Rockets 122-109 on Saturday night to finish a back-to-back coming off a blowout loss at defending champion Oklahoma City.

Davis went 14 of 19 from the field a night after making just one of nine shots and scoring two points in 24 minutes in a 132-111 loss to the Thunder. It was fewest points of the 10-time All-Star's career when playing at least 20 minutes.

Kevin Durant scored 20 of his 27 points in the first half but ended up not playing in the fourth quarter after the Mavericks outscored Houston 37-20 in the third and took a 21-point lead early in the fourth. The game was tied at halftime.

Cooper Flagg had 19 points, and one of his three assists came on a nifty transition bounce pass to Ryan Nembhard for a 98-77 lead. Brandon Williams scored 20 points as the backup point guard to Nembhard, the rookie who had 11 points and seven assists in his sixth consecutive start, the first of his career.

P.J. Washington, who missed the previous four games after injuring his right ankle by landing on a loose ball during pregame warmups at the Los Angeles Clippers, had consecutive dunks during a 14-0 run in the third quarter and finished with 14 points, seven rebounds and five steals.

Naji Marshall beat the third-quarter buzzer with his only 3-pointer and scored 15 points.

Jabari Smith Jr. scored 22 points and Aaron Holiday added 19 for the Rockets, who were without forward Alperen Sengun on both nights of a back-to-back due to an illness.

Davis was 6 of 7 in the third quarter, when the Mavericks shot 73% (16 of 22).

Rockets: The Clippers at home on Thursday.

Mavericks: Brooklyn at home on Friday.

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Dallas Mavericks guard Brandon Williams (10) dunks in front of Houston Rockets defenders Jabari Smith Jr. (10), Aaron Holiday (0) and Amen Thompson (1) during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Dallas, Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

Houston Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr. (10) goes up to shoot against Dallas Mavericks defenders D'Angelo Russell (5), P.J. Washington (25) and Dwight Powell (7) during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Dallas, Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg (32) slam-dunks against Houston Rockets defenders Josh Okogie (20), Aaron Holiday, front right, and Isaiah Crawford (27) during the second half of an NBA basketball game in Dallas, Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

Houston Rockets forward Kevin Durant (7) smiles near Dallas Mavericks forward Anthony Davis (3) during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Dallas, Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

Dallas Mavericks forward Anthony Davis (3) reacts to a call during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Houston Rockets in Dallas, Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

WASHINGTON (AP) — Atlanta Hawks coach Quin Snyder believes fifth-year forward Jalen Johnson is still a work in progress. If he’s right, it’s a terrifying prospect for opponents.

Johnson continued his emergence with his second triple-double in two nights Saturday, finishing with 30 points, 12 rebounds and 12 assists in a 131-116 win over the Washington Wizards.

It was his fourth of a season in which every one of those performances has been needed as the Hawks manage without four-time All-Star Trae Young, who has been out since late October with a sprained right MCL.

Johnson is averaging 23.8 points, 10.5 rebounds and 7.8 assists, all significant improvements from a 2024-25 campaign that was easily his best.

“It’s reflective of a guy that’s done a lot of work that we need to make a lot of plays for us,” Snyder said of Johnson. “The triple-doubles, like the statistics, are great. But he wants to win and there’s more there. He can continue to become more efficient, because we need him to be that.”

Both Friday and Saturday’s performances were historic.

In Friday’s 134-133 home loss to Denver, he recorded the second-fastest triple-double in NBA history, reaching the threshold in only 16:44. (Denver’s Nikola Jokic holds the record of 14 minutes, 33 seconds.)

Saturday, he became only the second Hawks player ever with triple-doubles on both ends of a back-to-back, after Bob Sura did it on April 9 and 10, 2004.

“Yesterday was cool, but tonight was more important because we got the win,” Johnson said. “So I think that’s what makes it better. But it was just a great group effort and like I said before, it’s just a product of my teammates hitting shots and everybody making the game much easier for me.”

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Atlanta Hawks forward Jalen Johnson (1) dribbles the ball against Washington Wizards forward Justin Champagnie, left, during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

Atlanta Hawks forward Jalen Johnson (1) shoots against Washington Wizards guard Bub Carrington (7) during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

Atlanta Hawks forward Jalen Johnson (1) goes to the basket against Washington Wizards forwards Justin Champagnie (9) and Tristan Vukcevic (00) during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

Washington Wizards forward Justin Champagnie (9) fouls Atlanta Hawks forward Jalen Johnson (1) during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)