Second-half separation
The Dallas Mavericks pulled away after halftime to defeat the Houston Rockets 132-115 in a preseason game Sunday, Oct. 11, 2026, at Venetian Arena in Macao. Kyrie Irving scored 17 points for Dallas, while Houston's Marcus Smart finished with 20.
Dallas took a 58-51 lead into halftime, then outscored Houston 37-34 in the third quarter. The Rockets opened the second half with six straight points and moved in front 66-64. Dallas answered, and after a tie at 77, the Mavericks closed the period on an 18-8 run to lead 95-85.
Dallas controls the finish
The Mavericks extended the margin in the fourth quarter, adding 37 points to Houston's 30. Dallas led 97-85 early in the period and continued to add to its cushion as Zaccharie Risacher, Tarik Biberovic, Sergio de Larrea and Tobi Lawal contributed to the scoring.
Houston got within six at 97-91, but Dallas pushed the lead to 114-103 and then 121-105. The Mavericks reached their largest lead, 19 points, at 132-113 before Oscar Tshiebwe scored the game's final basket.
