Tari Eason scores 20 as Rockets defeat Mavericks 135-117

Dallas Falls Behind Early

The Dallas Mavericks opened their home schedule with a 135-117 loss to the visiting Houston Rockets on Friday, Oct. 9, 2026, at Venetian Arena. Tari Eason led Houston with 20 points, while the Rockets also received 10 assists and 10 rebounds from Alperen Sengun.

Houston took control in the first quarter, building a 27-19 lead. Fred VanVleet scored the Rockets’ first nine points on three made shots, including two 3-pointers. Dallas answered with scoring from Max Christie, Cooper Flagg and Daniel Gafford, but Houston maintained the advantage through the quarter.

Houston Builds Its Margin

The Rockets extended the lead in the second quarter, outscoring Dallas 38-26 to take a 65-45 advantage into halftime. Jabari Smith Jr. made three 3-pointers in the quarter and finished the period with 11 points. Sengun added a dunk, a layup and two free throws during the quarter, while Kevin Durant made two jump shots.

Flagg paced Dallas’ second-quarter offense with two jump shots, a dunk and four free throws. He also connected on a 26-foot 3-pointer, but the Mavericks could not keep pace with Houston’s scoring run.

Mavericks Trim Deficit in Fourth

Dallas scored 35 points in the third quarter, but Houston added 34 and carried a 99-80 lead into the final period. VanVleet made two 3-pointers in the quarter, Durant added a 25-foot 3-pointer and Reed Sheppard hit three 3-pointers for Houston.

The Mavericks outscored the Rockets 37-36 in the fourth quarter. Dallas got late scoring from Jett Howard, Tobi Lawal and Sergio de Larrea, but Houston finished with the 18-point victory. Bruce Thornton made three 3-pointers in the period for the Rockets.

Leaders and Records

Flagg led Dallas with 19 points. Dwight Powell had eight assists, and Zaccharie Risacher collected eight rebounds for the Mavericks. Sengun’s 10 assists and 10 rebounds led Houston in those categories, while Eason’s 20 points were the Rockets’ top scoring total.

The attendance at Venetian Arena was 11,564. Dallas fell to 0-1 after the game, while Houston moved to 1-0.

Sources

ESPN