Tari Eason's 20 points help Rockets pull away from Mavericks, 135-117

Rockets seize control early

Houston's first nine points came from Fred VanVleet, who made three consecutive 3-point shots, and the Rockets carried that early advantage to a 135-117 victory over the Dallas Mavericks on Friday, Oct. 9, 2026. Tari Eason led Houston with 20 points.

The Rockets, playing on the road at Venetian Arena, finished with a 27-19 lead after the first quarter. Eason added two free throws and Houston received baskets from Amen Thompson, Alperen Sengun, Jabari Smith Jr., Kevin Durant and Steven Adams during the opening period. Dallas answered with a 25-foot 3-pointer from Max Christie and a 3-pointer by Daniel Gafford, among its early scoring plays.

Second-quarter separation

Houston expanded the margin in the second quarter, outscoring Dallas 38-26 to take a 65-45 halftime lead. Sengun had a layup, a dunk and free throws in the period, while Smith made two 3-pointers and a tip-in dunk. Durant also contributed two baskets.

Cooper Flagg kept Dallas involved with two baskets to open the quarter, later adding a 3-pointer, two pull-up jump shots, a tip shot and four free throws. Max Christie and Naji Marshall also scored for the Mavericks, but Houston's second-quarter production created a 20-point halftime difference.

Mavericks trim the gap

Dallas scored 35 points in the third quarter, one more than Houston, but the Rockets still held a 99-80 advantage entering the fourth. Sengun added a driving layup, a two-point basket and a free throw in the quarter. Eason finished a dunk and a 3-pointer, while VanVleet and Reed Sheppard each made multiple 3-pointers.

The Mavericks got third-quarter 3-pointers from Max Christie, Tarik Biberovic, Zaccharie Risacher and Sergio de Larrea. Dallas also received baskets from Naji Marshall, but Houston maintained control.

Final numbers

The Mavericks outscored the Rockets 37-36 in the fourth quarter. Bruce Thornton scored 3-pointers and a layup for Houston in the closing period, while Dallas received late baskets from Jett Howard, Tobi Lawal and de Larrea. Sengun finished with 10 assists and 10 rebounds for Houston.

For Dallas, Flagg had 19 points, Dwight Powell recorded eight assists and Risacher grabbed eight rebounds. The game drew 11,564 at Venetian Arena. Houston moved to 1-0, while Dallas fell to 0-1.

Sources

ESPN