Mavericks Finish Strong to Beat Rockets 132-115

Dallas closes it out

The Dallas Mavericks turned a competitive game into a 132-115 victory by outscoring the Houston Rockets 37-30 in the fourth quarter Sunday at Venetian Arena. Marcus Smart scored 20 points for Houston, while Kyrie Irving led Dallas with 17 points.

Dallas entered the final period with a 95-85 lead and added to it throughout the quarter. The Mavericks moved ahead 114-103 after Tarik Biberovic made a 25-foot 3-pointer, then extended the margin to 121-105 on a Seth Lundy 25-foot running jump shot. Dallas reached a 132-113 lead before Oscar Tshiebwe scored the final basket for Houston.

Houston keeps pace early

The Mavericks led 28-27 after the first quarter, with the lead changing hands during a closely contested opening period. Dallas gained separation in the second, outscoring Houston 30-24 to take a 58-51 advantage into halftime.

Houston responded in the third quarter. The Rockets moved in front 66-64 after Amen Thompson made a 23-foot 3-pointer, but Dallas regained the lead before the quarter ended. The Mavericks carried an 89-79 lead into the fourth and added six more points to their advantage in the final period.

Key contributions

Smart's 20 points were Houston's highest total among the listed top performances. Amen Thompson had six assists, and Jabari Smith Jr. pulled down nine rebounds for the Rockets.

For Dallas, Irving's 17 points led the listed Mavericks performances. Cooper Flagg recorded seven assists, while Sergio de Larrea had seven rebounds. Dallas also received 17 points in the fourth quarter from the listed scoring plays by Tarik Biberovic, Sergio de Larrea, Jett Howard, Tobi Lawal and Seth Lundy combined, though no team bench-scoring total was provided.

Records and setting

The game was played Sunday, Oct. 11, 2026, at Venetian Arena, where attendance was 11,711. Houston is 1-1 after the game, and Dallas also is 1-1.

Sources

ESPN