Houston unable to hold off Dallas
Marcus Smart scored 20 points, but the Houston Rockets fell to the Dallas Mavericks 132-115 in a preseason game Sunday, Oct. 11, 2026, at Venetian Arena in Macao. Houston, the designated home team for the NBA China Game, played before an announced attendance of 11,711.
The Mavericks led 28-27 after the first quarter and extended the margin to 58-51 by halftime. Dallas also won the third quarter, outscoring Houston 37-34, before finishing with another 37 points in the fourth. The Rockets scored 30 in the final period.
Dallas creates separation
Houston briefly moved in front in the third quarter, taking a 66-64 lead on Amen Thompson's 23-foot 3-pointer. Dallas regained the advantage, however, and led 77-74 late in the period before building its cushion to 95-85 entering the fourth.
The Mavericks opened the final quarter with a pair of Naji Marshall free throws, and Zaccharie Risacher's 23-foot 3-pointer later made it 102-94. Dallas then stretched the lead to 114-103 on Tarik Biberovic's 25-foot 3-pointer and reached a 121-105 advantage after Seth Lundy's 25-foot 3-pointer. Houston got within 12 at 121-109, but Dallas pulled away again and led by as many as 19 before the 132-115 finish.
