The Houston Rockets took down the host Dallas Mavericks, 106 - 98, in a matchup of divisional rivals on Friday. Houston was able to pull away in the third quarter on the back of strong three - point shooting. Forward Trevor Ariza led the team with 27 points and five three - pointers, while All-Star guard James Harden trailed narrowly behind with 26 points and four makes from deep. Harden also dished out eight assists, showing continued commitment to his new role as point guard. Harden made the shift under the guidance of new head coach Mike D'Antoni and in part due to the acquisition of shooting guard Eric Gordon. Gordon scored 18 points, also notching four rebounds and six assists. For Dallas, meanwhile, new acquisition Harrison Barnes led the way with 31 points. Barnes, the former Warrior, opened up his career in Dallas with a buzzer beater to force overtime on Wednesday. He picked back up with a strong outing, establishing himself as the focal point of the Mavericks offense. Despite Barnes's significant contribution, however, Dallas was simply out - shot from behind the arc. The Mavericks made just 8 of 29 shot from three, compared to 15 of 32 for the Rockets. The teams will face off again on Sunday night, with Houston playing host.
["TeamStat(G,'Mavericks') has 98 Total points ,has 31 Points in 4th quarter ."
 "TeamStat(G,'Rockets') has 106 Total points ."]