Mavericks Pull Away From Rockets 132-115 Despite Marcus Smart's 20 Points

Mavericks Finish Strong

The Dallas Mavericks defeated the Houston Rockets 132-115 in a preseason game Sunday, Oct. 11, 2026, at Venetian Arena in Macao, with Houston's Marcus Smart scoring 20 points and Dallas' Kyrie Irving contributing 17. The Mavericks finished with a 37-30 advantage in the fourth quarter before a crowd of 11,711.

Reed Sheppard added 17 points for the Rockets, Amen Thompson had six assists and Jabari Smith Jr. collected nine rebounds. For Dallas, Zaccharie Risacher scored 16, Cooper Flagg recorded seven assists and Sergio de Larrea had seven rebounds.

Dallas Builds Its Lead

Dallas held a narrow 28-27 edge after the opening quarter. Houston moved in front early in the second, taking a 31-28 lead, but the Mavericks answered with a 21-3 run to go ahead 49-34.

The Rockets trimmed the deficit before halftime, but Dallas still led 58-51 at the break. Irving scored during the second-quarter surge, while Daniel Gafford added nine points, all in that quarter. Houston stayed within range behind baskets from Smart, Sheppard and Thompson.

Houston Challenges in Third

Houston opened the third quarter with a Smart free throw, then Sheppard's 3-pointer and Smith's fadeaway cut the margin to one point at 58-57. The Rockets later took a 66-64 lead after Thompson's 3-pointer, and they led again at 69-68 and 72-71.

Dallas answered with scores from Max Christie, Irving, Flagg and Risacher. The Mavericks closed the quarter ahead 95-85 after outscoring Houston 37-34 in the period. Dallas then extended its cushion in the fourth, with Risacher, Tarik Biberovic and de Larrea among the players scoring for the Mavericks.

Records

Houston won the first of the two Macao games 135-117, so both teams are 1-1 in the preseason.

Sources

ESPN