Mavericks Close Fast, Beat Rockets 132-115

Dallas finishes strong

Marcus Smart scored 20 points for Houston, but the Dallas Mavericks pulled away for a 132-115 preseason victory over the Rockets on Sunday, Oct. 11, 2026, at Venetian Arena in Macao. Dallas turned a 95-85 lead after three quarters into a 17-point final margin by outscoring Houston 37-30 in the fourth.

The Mavericks' closing points came steadily throughout the final period. Tarik Biberovic's 3-pointer made it 114-103, and Sergio de Larrea's basket later made it 127-110. Biberovic's running layup put Dallas ahead 132-113, its largest lead, before Oscar Tshiebwe supplied Houston's final points.

Game progression

Dallas led 28-27 after the first quarter and widened the advantage in the second, taking a 58-51 lead into halftime after a 30-24 period. Houston made its strongest push in the third quarter. The Rockets moved ahead 66-64, and the score was tied 74-74 and 77-77 later in the period, but Dallas finished the quarter with a 95-85 advantage after scoring 37 points to Houston's 34.

Houston was the designated home team for the NBA China Game. The Mavericks' 37-point fourth quarter matched their third-quarter output, while the Rockets scored 30 in the final period.

Contributors

Smart's 20 points led Houston, and Reed Sheppard added 17. Amen Thompson finished with six assists, and Jabari Smith Jr. had nine rebounds for the Rockets.

For Dallas, Kyrie Irving scored 17 points and Zaccharie Risacher added 16. Cooper Flagg recorded seven assists, and de Larrea had seven rebounds. Dallas won each quarter by margins of one, six, three and seven points.

Venue and records

The game was played at Venetian Arena before an attendance of 11,711. Houston won the first of the two Macao games 135-117, so both teams are 1-1 in the preseason.

Sources

ESPN