HOUSTON -- With Josh Smith producing a crowd-pleasing passing exhibition, one that led to several rim-rattling dunks from Dwight Howard, the Houston Rockets pulled away from the Dallas Mavericks and took Game 2 of their Western Conference first-round series, 111-99 on Tuesday night at Toyota Center.

Smith finished with 15 points, eight rebounds and nine assists, recording seven assists in the fourth quarter. During one decisive stretch, he fed Howard (28 points, 12 rebounds) on four alley-oop dunks, turning a three-point deficit into a 94-86 lead with 7:39 left.

During that stretch, Smith also converted a driving layup, and he tallied the final basket for the Rockets with a thunderous dunk working the pick-and-roll with guard James Harden (24 points, six assists).

The Rockets grabbed a 2-0 series lead by scoring 60 points in the paint. Reserve forward Corey Brewer added 15 points for Houston.

The Mavericks used a 7-0 run to take an 84-81 lead before falling apart. Guard Monta Ellis led the Mavericks with 24 points, but forward Dirk Nowitzki missed 11 of 14 shots and finished with just 10 points. Nowitzki was also victimized repeatedly on defense in the pick-and-roll.

Game 3 is Friday night in Dallas.

The Rockets had the ingredients to build another first-quarter, double-digit lead, with Dallas committing five turnovers by the midpoint of the opening period and Harden making four field goals by the 5:45 mark.

However, the Rockets squandered several sound offensive sets by blowing layups. And, despite a 7-0 run out of the gate and a pair of six-point leads later in the quarter, the Rockets fell behind 22-20 when Mavericks reserve center Amar’e Stoudemire converted a three-point play with 32.8 seconds remaining.

Once they grabbed the lead, the Mavericks were hesitant to relinquish it. And without forward Chandler Parsons (right knee) and with guard Rajon Rondo playing dispassionately, Dallas dug deep into its bench and did so successfully. From Al-Farouq Aminu to Raymond Felton to Stoudemire, the Mavericks found solutions to their hamstrung rotation.

And after squandering so many golden opportunities, the Rockets struggled to rediscover their offensive rhythm. They ground out a 7-0 spurt to grab a 45-42 lead, and needed a driving layup from Harden and a pair of free throws from Terrence Jones to take a 53-51 halftime lead.

NOTES: Mavericks F Chandler Parsons did not play, sidelined by a balky right knee that cost him the final six games of the regular season. Parsons scored just 10 points on 5-for-15 shooting in Game 1, limping throughout the second half of this 37-minute outing. There are reports that Parsons, who will be re-evaluated when the team returns to Dallas, could miss the remainder of the series. "I'm concerned -- period," Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle said. "That (Parsons sitting out the entire series) does loom as a possibility, but we'll know more tomorrow.' ... Mavericks G Devin Harris (left toe injury) did not play and will be re-evaluated when the team returns to Dallas. Harris sat out the second half of Game 1. ... Rockets coach Kevin McHale finished sixth in Coach of the Year balloting. Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer won the award. Despite a rash of injuries that ravaged his roster, McHale led the Rockets to the Southwest Division title. He earned 13 third-place votes.