Tari Eason leads Rockets past Mavericks 135-117

Rockets take the opener

Tari Eason scored 20 points as the Houston Rockets defeated the Dallas Mavericks 135-117 on Friday, Oct. 9, 2026, at Venetian Arena. Houston led from the opening quarter through the final score in the game played before an attendance of 11,564.

Alperen Sengun contributed 10 assists and 10 rebounds for Houston. The Rockets also received a strong scoring start, opening the game with a 27-19 advantage after the first quarter.

Houston builds its lead

Houston added 38 points in the second quarter while Dallas scored 26. The Rockets carried a 65-45 lead into halftime, with the 20-point margin marking the largest gap through the opening half shown by the quarter scoring.

Sengun’s 10 assists and 10 rebounds highlighted his all-around production for Houston, while Eason finished as the Rockets’ listed scoring leader with 20 points.

Mavericks trim the margin late

Dallas scored 35 points in the third quarter, one more than Houston’s 34, but the Mavericks still faced a 99-80 deficit entering the fourth. Houston and Dallas each increased their scoring in the final period, with the Rockets posting 36 points and the Mavericks 37.

Cooper Flagg led Dallas with 19 points. Dwight Powell had eight assists, and Zaccharie Risacher collected eight rebounds. Dallas’ late scoring brought the final margin to 18 points, but Houston finished with the 135-117 victory.

Records

The result left the Rockets at 1-0 and the Mavericks at 0-1. Dallas was the home team, while Houston played as the visiting team.

Sources

ESPN