Tonight at 7:00 p.m. ET on ESPN the Dallas Mavericks will return home for Game 3 of their opening round Western Conference Playoffs series and try to avoid falling in a 3-0 hole against the Houston Rockets. Live stream the tilt free by clicking this link. Mavericks fans can listen to the radio broadcast on 103.3 ESPN, while Rockets fans can tune in to Sports Talk 790 to do the same.

The Rockets were billed as an easy-to-stop team that relied too heavily on star players James Harden and Dwight Howard, but that hasn't been the case through two games. Six Rockets are averaging double-figure scoring, while the Mavericks are dealing with inner turmoil.

Rajon Rondo's postseason is over. The point guard was yanked after an embarrassing sequence of events that saw him pick up early fouls and get benched for a lack of effort. The Mavericks said today that the benching was partly due to an injured back, and that he was finished for the postseason. He'll join small forward Chandler Parsons in that regard.

Instead of being asked questions about this important Game 3, Carlisle is answering inquiries about whether the Rondo trade was worth the risk.

"In the case of anything, there is risk, but there are risks worth taking," Carlisle said. "That trade was a risk worth taking. We all agreed on that. Now, we're at a point where, hey, it's time to move on."

Moving on means going forward with Jose Barea and Raymond Felton at point guard, two players that are streaky on offense and far from stalwarts defensively. The Mavericks will take a defensive hit, but their offense clicked better in Game 2 with Rondo anchored to the bench. They were also the best offensive team in the NBA at the time Rondo was brought in.