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Earlier this month, plenty of people in Texas suffered a setback after a number of popular adult websites were blocked in the state—a development that just so happened to coincide with the start of stellar runs for the Rockets and the Mavericks.
If you haven’t been keeping tabs on what’s been going on in The Lonestar State, here’s a quick rundown.
In 2023, Governor Greg Abbott signed H.B. 1181, a law that requires any website that peddles mature content to use government-issued identification to verify its users are 18 or older before giving them access.
Some of the companies impacted by that statute mounted a legal battle that ultimately led to a federal appeals court ruling it should be allowed to stand toward the beginning of the month. That led to a popular online destination that rhymes with “Corn Flub” deciding to block users in Texas from visiting its flagship website and its related subsidiaries on March 14th as it gears up for another appeal.
Prior to that decision, the Dallas Mavericks had posted a 6-6 record in the wake of the All-Star Break, while the Houston Rockets had gone 6-5 over the same span.
Now, one of the most basic statistical lessons is that correlation doesn’t necessarily equal causation, but it’s kind of hard to ignore a trend that was brought to my attention courtesy of /u/ShamwowGuy18, the Reddit user who noted the Rockets and Mavericks are undefeated since March 15th (Houston has gone 6-0 while Dallas has rattled off five straight wins).
Again, I’m not saying the ban is the reason both of those franchises have gone on an impressive run, but there’s a reason boxers are known for abstaining from recreational activities in the bedroom the night before a fight (an approach a number of soccer coaches have also harnessed).
It’s worth noting the San Antonio Spurs haven’t experienced a similar boost by going 3-4 since the ban was enacted, although that is a pretty noted improvement compared to how they’d fared over the course of the season.
The Mavericks and the Rockets each have one more chance to keep the streak alive before it inevitably comes to an end when they face off against each other on March 31st.