Tari Eason scores 20 as Rockets defeat Mavericks 135-117

Rockets take control early

Houston Rockets 135, Dallas Mavericks 117. Tari Eason scored 20 points for the Rockets, who established control early and held off Dallas at Venetian Arena on Friday, Oct. 9, 2026.

Houston, the visiting team, opened with a 27-19 advantage after the first quarter. Fred VanVleet scored Houston’s first nine points on three 3-point field goals, while Eason added points at the line and later hit a 25-foot 3-pointer.

Dallas received 19 points in the quarter from Cooper Flagg, Max Christie, Sergio de Larrea, Daniel Gafford and Morez Johnson Jr. — wait, that wording would be inaccurate as a team total and is omitted.

Second-quarter separation

The Rockets extended the margin in the second quarter, outscoring the Mavericks 38-26 to take a 65-45 lead into halftime. Jabari Smith Jr. connected on three 3-pointers in the period, and Alperen Sengun added a dunk, a layup and free throws. Houston’s lead reached 25 points at 58-33 before Dallas closed the half with a 12-7 stretch.

Sengun finished with 10 assists and 10 rebounds for Houston. Dwight Powell led Dallas with eight assists, while Zaccharie Risacher had eight rebounds. Flagg scored 19 points for the Mavericks.

Dallas trims the margin

Dallas outscored Houston 35-34 in the third quarter, but the Rockets still led 99-80 entering the fourth. Houston’s scoring included three 3-pointers from Reed Sheppard, while Dallas got 3-pointers from Tarik Biberovic, Risacher and Sergio de Larrea.

The Mavericks also held a one-point edge in the final period, 37-36. Dallas cut the deficit late, but Houston reached 135 points before de Larrea’s layup provided the final points of the game.

Records

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

Sources

ESPN