After falling down 7-0 to the Houston Rockets early in the first quarter, Mavs big man DeAndre Jordan wanted a quick word with the official after head coach Rick Carlisle called a timeout to stop the bleeding. Even if that meant screening out his former teammate Chris Paul.
Paul likely remembers what it's like to be behind Jordan's 265-pound frame, as the 6-foot-11 center shielded out his old mate to get an explanation for a defensive three seconds call that resulted in the first turnover of the game and a Rockets score.
Jordan wasted no time, scoring his first bucket off the game 14 seconds after the timeout and helping his team pull even after two Luka Doncic threes, a Harrison Barnes triple and a Wesley Matthews layup, not looking back from there, as the Mavs got off to a 36-28 start in the first quarter.
The Mavericks stunned the Rockets with a statement 128-108 win, boasting a well-rounded effort with seven players in double digits, including Jordan, who finished the game with 13 points, seven rebounds and two blocks.
Paul was absent for the third straight game with a sore left leg, making his contributions by talking up the officials from the sidelines, as seen in the video above.
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