Schedule and 2004-05 Results
Regular Season Records: Dallas 58-24, Houston 51-31
Game 1 on Saturday, 23 April: Houston wins at Dallas, 98-pts-86
Game 2 on Monday, 25 April: Houston wins at Dallas, 113-pts-111
Game 3 on Thursday, 28 April: Dallas wins at Houston, 106-pts-102
Game 4 on Saturday, 30 April: Dallas wins at Houston, 97-pts-93
Game 5 on Monday, 02 May: Houston loses at Dallas, 103-pts-100
Game 6 on Thursday, 05 May: Dallas loses at Houston, 101-pts-83
Game 7 on Saturday, 07 May: Houston loses at Dallas, 116-pts-76

SERIES NOTES:

After Game 7: On a night when the Indiana Pacers had achieved the second-largest Game 7 margin of victory by a road team (27 points, in MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 playoff series 941 Game 7 in Boston vs. the Celtics), the Dallas Mavericks trumped that feat with the largest-ever NBA Game 7 margin of victory -- 40 points -- in a 116-pts-76 series 946 Game 7 home-court win over the Houston Rockets. The Dallas Mavericks thus become only the third NBA team to lose Games 1-2 of a best-of-7 playoff series at home but win the series; they join the Los Angeles Lakers from series 211 (over the San Francisco Warriors in the 1969 Quarterfinals, en route to a 1969 NBA Finals berth) and the Houston Rockets from series 668 (over the Phoenix Suns in the 1994 Quarterfinals, en route to the 1994 NBA championship). With the series 946 win, the Dallas Mavericks improve their best-of-7 NBA playoff series record to 4-7 overall and 2-1 in the Preliminary round. With the series 946 loss, the Houston Rockets see their best-of-7 NBA playoff series record fall to 12-11 overall and 0-2 in the Preliminary round. The win order for the victorious Dallas Mavericks in series 946 was LLWWWLW; series 946 thus becomes the first best-of-7 NBA Preliminary-round playoff series, the second best-of-7 NBA playoff series (all rounds), and the 12th best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series (all rounds) to follow that win order.

After Game 6: Facing elimination from the 2005 NBA playoffs, the Houston Rockets hosted and defeated the Dallas Mavericks 101-pts-83 in MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 playoff series 946 Game 6, thus tying series 946 at 3-games-all. The Dallas Mavericks have a Game 7 record of 2-1 overall and 2-0 on their home court. The Houston Rockets have a Game 7 record of 5-1 overall and 2-1 on the road. Only once before in best-of-7 NBA playoff history has a team posted an LLWWWL @ HHVVHV win/site order: In series 668 (in the 1994 Quarterfinals), the Houston Rockets did so vs. the Phoenix Suns; Houston won series 668 Game 7, and eventually won the 1994 NBA championship. Thus, the 1994 Houston Rockets have set a favorable precedent for the 2005 Dallas Mavericks against the 2005 Houston Rockets. In the history of best-of-7 NBA playoff series from 1947 through 2004, inclusive, teams that win Game 6 at home by 18 points to tie their series 3-games-all (as Houston has done) have an 0-3 Game 7 record. The three losers were the Atlanta Hawks (in series 359 vs. the Washington Bullets in the 1979 Quarterfinals), the Philadelphia 76ers (in series 467 vs. the Milwaukee Bucks in the 1986 Quarterfinals), and the Chicago Bulls (in series 570 vs. the Detroit Pistons in the 1990 Semifinals). In best-of-7 NBA playoff series from 1947 through 2004, irrespective of win order and of site order (save for Game 7), the home team has a Game 7 record of 73-15 (.830) and is on a current six-Game-7 winning streak.

After Game 5: For the first time in MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 playoff series 946, the home team won a game as the Mavericks in Dallas defeated the Houston Rockets 103-pts-100 in Game 5. Dallas thus takes a 3-games-2 series 946 lead. When leading an NBA best-of-7 playoff series 3-games-2, the Dallas Mavericks have a 3-0 series record and a 1-2 Game 6 record. When trailing an NBA best-of-7 playoff series 3-games-2, the Houston Rockets have a 2-6 series record and a 3-5 Game 6 record. Only two previous best-of-7 NBA playoff series have followed the LLWWW @ HHVVH win/site orders; in both cases, the team leading after Game 5 won the series. In the latter case, the team leading was the Houston Rockets, in series 668 (the 1994 NBA Quarterfinals) vs. the Phoenix Suns. Thus, the 1994 Houston Rockets provide a favorable precedent for the 2005 Dallas Mavericks in their series 946 battle against, ironically enough, the 2005 Houston Rockets.

After Game 4: The Dallas Mavericks once again visited and defeated the Houston Rockets, this time by a score of 97-pts-93, in MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 playoff series 946 Game 4. The series is thus tied 2-games-all. When tied 2-games-all in a best-of-7 NBA playoff series, the Dallas Mavericks have a series record of 2-2 and a Game 5 record of 2-2, while the Houston Rockets have a series record of 6-3 and a Game 5 record of 5-4. Series 946 has become the fifth NBA best-of-7 playoff series in which the road team has won each of the first four games. The previous four were series 155 (the Boston Celtics defeated the Cincinnati Royals in the 1963 Semifinals), series 211 (the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the San Francisco Warriors in the 1969 Quarterfinals), series 668 (the Houston Rockets defeated the Phoenix Suns in the 1994 Quarterfinals), and series 693 (the Houston Rockets defeated the San Antonio Spurs in the 1995 Semifinals).

After Game 3: The Dallas Mavericks visited and defeated the Houston Rockets 106-pts-102 in MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 playoff series 946 Game 3. Houston leads series 946, 2-games-1. When leading a best-of-7 NBA playoff series 2-games-1, the Houston Rockets have a perfect 8-0 series record and a Game 4 record of 4-4. When trailing 2-games-1, the Dallas Mavericks have a 1-6 series record (with an active four-series losing streak) and a 3-4 Game 4 record (with an active three-Game-4 losing streak). Series 946 has become only the seventh best-of-7 NBA playoff series in which the visitor has won the first three games. Of the previous six such series, the Houston Rockets were involved in three, winning two (series 668 and 693 -- the previous two such series) and losing one (series 493).

After Game 2: Once again, the Houston Rockets defeated the Mavericks in Dallas. The final score of Game 2: 113-pts-111. When leading a best-of-7 NBA playoff series 2-games-nil, the Houston Rockets have a series record of 4-0 and a Game 3 record of 1-3. When trailing a best-of-7 NBA playoff series 2-games-nil, the Dallas Mavericks have a series record of 0-5 and a Game 3 record of 4-1. The Houston Rockets thus become the first NBA team to win Games 1 and 2 on the road in a best-of-7 format NBA Preliminary round playoff series. In the history of best-of-7 NBA playoff series beginning in 1947, only twice has a team lost Games 1 and 2 on its home court but won the series: In MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 playoff series 211 (in the 1969 NBA Quarterfinals), the Los Angeles Lakers did so against the San Francisco Warriors; in series 668 (in the 1994 NBA Quarterfinals), the Houston Rockets did likewise against the Phoenix Suns en route to the 1994 NBA championship. Ironically, then, the 1994 Houston Rockets thus set a favorable precedent for the 2005 Dallas Mavericks against the 2005 Houston Rockets.

After Game 1: The Houston Rockets visited and defeated the Dallas Mavericks by a score of 98-pts-86, thus taking a 1-game-nil lead in MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 playoff series 946. When leading an NBA best-of-7 playoff series 1-game-nil, Houston has a perfect 8-0 series record and a 4-4 Game 2 record. When trailing such a series 1-game-nil, Dallas has a 2-6 series record and a 3-5 Game 2 record. The Houston Rockets will thus try to become the first team in NBA best-of-7 Preliminary-round history (dating all the way back to 2003) to win Game 2 after winning Game 1 on the road.

Pre-series assessment: In the 2004-05 regular season, Dallas finished seven games ahead of Houston. From 1947 through 2004, when NBA teams led their best-of-7 playoff series opponents by seven regular-season games, they have posted a 14-3 (.824) best-of-7 series record in those series against those opponents. MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 series 946 is the 23rd best-of-7 NBA playoff series for Houston, and the 11th for Dallas. In best-of-7 playoff series, Houston has a 12-10 series record, a 0-1 Preliminary-round series record, and a 8-14 Game 1 record, while Dallas has a 3-7 series record, a 1-1 Preliminary-round record, and a 2-8 Game 1 record. Series 946 is the first best-of-7 meeting between Houston and Dallas.