Tari Eason scores 20 as Rockets defeat Mavericks 135-117

Rockets Set the Pace

Tari Eason scored 20 points, and the Houston Rockets defeated the Dallas Mavericks 135-117 on Friday, Oct. 9, 2026, at Venetian Arena. Houston led 65-45 at halftime and finished with a 1-0 record, while Dallas fell to 0-1. The game was played before an attendance of 11,564.

Houston Builds a Lead

The visiting Rockets opened with the first nine points, all on Fred VanVleet 3-pointers, before Dallas answered with a Max Christie 3-pointer. Houston took a 27-19 advantage into the second quarter, then expanded the margin with a 38-point period. The Rockets held the Mavericks to 26 points in the quarter and carried a 20-point lead into halftime.

Alperen Sengun supplied 10 assists and 10 rebounds for Houston. VanVleet connected on three 3-pointers in the opening quarter, while Amen Thompson scored twice during Houston's second-quarter push. Eason's 20 points led the Rockets' listed scorers.

Mavericks Make a Push

Dallas outscored Houston 35-34 in the third quarter, but the Rockets still entered the final period ahead 99-80. The Mavericks then scored 37 points in the fourth, their highest-scoring quarter, while Houston added 36. That late offense narrowed the gap but did not erase the deficit.

Cooper Flagg led Dallas with 19 points. Dwight Powell had eight assists, and Zaccharie Risacher collected eight rebounds. Houston's quarter-by-quarter totals were 27, 38, 34 and 36; Dallas' were 19, 26, 35 and 37.

Records

Houston left with a 135-117 victory and a 1-0 record. Dallas, the home team, moved to 0-1 after the game.

Sources

ESPN