After the Dallas Mavericks knocked off the Houston Rockets on Sunday night, the Mavericks officially became the hottest team in the league as they have the longest current winning streak in the NBA with seven wins in a row.

The Rockets came into this game on an 11-game winning streak, but the Mavericks humbled Houston through their poise on both ends of the ball against the younger Rockets’ squad, as the Mavericks played great defense and shot an astounding 24-47 from 3-point range on the evening.

It cannot be emphasized enough how much of an advantage having Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving on the court together is for the Mavericks against superstar-less teams, as Irving and Doncic were able to eliminate any momentum that Houston tried to gain through some obscene individual shot-making.

Irving and Doncic are finally getting the respect they deserve on a national scale recently for the most part, as the Mavericks’ surge to the fifth seed in the Western Conference has put a highlight on how well the duo have complemented one another. After Dallas’ Tuesday night win in Sacramento, former NBA player Jamal Crawford commended Irving and Doncic for their playstyle in this recent stretch.

“They’re not playing your turn, my turn basketball,” Crawford said about Doncic and Irving. “They’re appreciating each other and elevating each other and playing off of each other better.”

Crawford definitely has watched some Mavericks games recently, as his assessment of Irving and Doncic from an offensive perspective is very accurate. Irving and Doncic have been involved in a lot more direct actions with each other in offense compared to last season, and their presence on the floor definitely elevates one another when you take into consideration the amount of double teams and traps that both players draw.

Irving and Doncic have worked synchronously on offense together all season and have stepped up as leaders for the Mavericks despite narratives in the national media that blamed Irving and Doncic’s “clunky fit” as the main reason Dallas finished poorly toward the end of the last season. That being said, it’s great to see that more NBA analysts and ex-players are finally showing the Mavericks’ dynamic duo the respect that they deserve.

The Dallas Mavericks hope to extend their winning streak to eight games as they take on the Golden State Warriors tomorrow night, so make sure to stay tuned to us as Dallas continues to push toward the playoffs during this final stretch of the regular season.