Dallas responds to Houston’s push
The Houston Rockets briefly moved in front 66-64 in the third quarter, but the Dallas Mavericks answered and carried an 95-85 lead into the fourth. Dallas then finished off a 132-115 victory Sunday, Oct. 11, 2026, at Venetian Arena.
Marcus Smart paced Houston with 20 points. Kyrie Irving scored 17 for Dallas, which won as the visiting team. The Rockets were the home team in front of an attendance of 11,711.
Early edge grows
Dallas led 28-27 after the opening quarter, then expanded its advantage during the second. The Mavericks went into halftime ahead 58-51 after outscoring Houston 30-24 in the period.
Houston remained within reach early in the third. The Rockets moved ahead at 66-64, but Dallas regained control and closed the quarter with a 37-34 edge, taking a 95-85 advantage into the final period.
Mavericks close it out
Dallas opened the fourth quarter with a pair of free throws from Naji Marshall, and the Mavericks kept Houston from mounting another sustained comeback. Zaccharie Risacher added two baskets during the period, including a reverse dunk, while Tarik Biberovic made a 25-foot 3-pointer and later scored on a running layup.
Houston continued to score late, including a floating jump shot by Oscar Tshiebwe, but Dallas maintained its cushion and reached 132 points. The Rockets finished with 115.
By the numbers
For Houston, Amen Thompson recorded six assists and Jabari Smith Jr. had nine rebounds alongside Smart’s 20 points. For Dallas, Cooper Flagg supplied seven assists and Sergio de Larrea collected seven rebounds in addition to Irving’s team-high 17 points.
The victory left both teams at 1-1. Dallas is 1-1, and Houston is 1-1 after the game.
Sources
ESPN
