The Houston Rockets (41-25) host the Dallas Mavericks (33-34) for the final meeting of the four-game season series Friday at Toyota Center. The two teams have been on completely different trajectories since they last met in Dallas on Feb.

Led by point guard Fred VanVleet, who impressed in his recent return, the Rockets have found reliable scoring from Jalen Green and Alperen Şengün. Their strong performances are complemented by solid contributions from the bench players,

On paper, this is a game that the Houston Rockets should absolutely win. Houston is playing at home and with a little pep in their step thanks to the schedule finally clearing up and the team being mostly healthy.