- Oct 16, 2026
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SportsMafia Wire graphic. Photo: Markus Spiske via Wikimedia Commons, CC0 1.0. Team logos via ESPN.
The Houston Rockets opened their season with a dominant 128-110 victory over the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday night, fueled by an explosive second quarter that broke the game open.
Kevin Durant and Jabari Smith Jr. each scored 30 points for Houston, with both players contributing 16 points before halftime. The Rockets outscored Dallas 38-12 in the second quarter, including a 19-2 run, to build a 70-38 lead at the break. Alperen Sengun added 23 points and 10 rebounds, while Fred VanVleet returned from a torn ACL to post six points and 11 assists.
Dallas showed fight in the fourth quarter with a 9-0 run, cutting the deficit to 103-86 with about nine minutes left. But Houston answered with an 8-2 spurt featuring three-pointers from Durant and VanVleet, pushing the lead back to 111-88 roughly a minute later.
Cooper Flagg, the 2025 No. 1 pick and last season's NBA Rookie of the Year, led Dallas with 32 points. Kyrie Irving scored 15 points in his first regular-season appearance since suffering a left ACL tear in March 2025. May, who led Michigan to an NCAA championship, made his Dallas coaching debut after replacing fired Jason Kidd.
Houston's Tari Eason was tossed with approximately three minutes remaining in the opening period. He drew a flagrant foul 2 for pushing P.J. Washington.
Source: ESPN - Wed Oct 21, 11:17 PM ET
Written by the SportsMafia Wire desk in our own words from the original reporting (AI-assisted, checked against the source).