The Houston Rockets opened their season with a 128-110 win over the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday night at Toyota Center, getting 30 points apiece from Kevin Durant and Jabari Smith Jr. Alperen Sengun added 23 points and 10 rebounds, and Fred VanVleet dished 11 assists in his return from a torn ACL that cost him last season.
Dallas never recovered after a disastrous second quarter. Cooper Flagg, the 2025 No. 1 pick and reigning NBA Rookie of the Year, led the Mavericks with 32 points, but Dallas shot just 30% from three-point range and committed 21 turnovers that the Rockets turned into 32 points.
Key Moments: How The Rockets 128-110 Win Over Mavericks Took Shape
Houston led by six after the opening quarter before blitzing Dallas 38-12 in the second to build a 70-38 halftime lead. The Rockets’ offense clicked from every angle during that stretch, with Smith Jr. and Durant each scoring 16 of their points before the break.
Dallas showed life in the fourth quarter, cutting the deficit to 103-86 with about nine minutes left on a 9-0 run keyed by six points from Marcus Sasser. Houston answered immediately, ripping off an 8-2 spurt roughly a minute later to push the margin back to 111-88 and close the door on any Dallas comeback.
The game also featured an ejection. Rockets forward Tari Eason was tossed with about three minutes left in the first quarter after shoving P.J. Washington in the back, sending him sliding across the floor.
According to the Houston Chronicle, Washington had given Eason a slight shove under the basket earlier on the same possession while the two battled for a rebound. Eason was initially called for a common foul, but a review upgraded it to a Flagrant 2, which carries an automatic ejection. He finished with just 2 points in three minutes of action.
Top Performers In The Houston Rockets Win
Durant shot 10 of 16 from the field and 8 of 11 from the free-throw line in 37 minutes. Smith Jr. matched him with 30 points on 11-of-17 shooting, including 4 of 8 from three-point range. Sengun’s 23-point, 10-rebound double-double came with five assists, and Amen Thompson chipped in 16 points and 10 rebounds.
For Dallas, Flagg’s 32 points came on 10-of-17 shooting with three steals. Kyrie Irving scored 15 points in his first regular-season appearance since tearing his left ACL in March 2025. Washington finished with 10 points and four rebounds but struggled badly on the night defensively, posting a minus-27 plus-minus.
What The Rockets Win And Mavericks Loss Mean
Houston opened the 2026-27 season at 1-0, sitting atop the Southwest Division standings alongside Memphis. Dallas dropped to 0-1, part of a three-way tie for last in the division with New Orleans and San Antonio. The loss is the first regular-season test for new Mavericks coach Dusty May, who was hired to replace the fired Jason Kidd after leading Michigan to the NCAA championship.
Houston’s bench production and ball movement, evidenced by 32 team assists on 47 made baskets, pointed to the kind of depth that could matter as the season unfolds. Dallas will need better shot selection after connecting on just 11 of 37 three-point attempts.
What’s Next
Dallas travels to face Indiana on Friday night looking for its first win of the season. Houston also plays Friday, facing San Antonio in Austin, Texas.
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