On a relative off night for Kevin Durant and Alperen Sengun, it was two of Houston’s emerging talents — Amen Thompson and Jabari Smith Jr. — who made the difference in Saturday’s close win over Dallas.

With the victory, the Rockets (30-17) enter February at No. 4 in the Western Conference standings.

Featuring Ben DuBose and Dave Hardisty, our “ClutchFans Live” postgame show reacts to all the key storylines from an ABC primetime showdown. Topics include a brilliant showing by rising Mavericks star Cooper Flagg; why improvements from the likes of Thompson, Smith, Tari Eason, and Josh Okogie are part of a broader trend; defensive concerns with Reed Sheppard and Sengun; and Houston’s expectations entering the week of the NBA’s in-season trade deadline.

This episode can also be viewed in video form here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n772NV2SPaI

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