The Dallas Mavericks defeated the Houston Rockets 132-115 in the NBA China Game at Venetian Arena in Macao on Sunday, October 11, as Kyrie Irving returned to action for the first time since suffering a torn ACL in March, 2025.
Irving suited up for Dallas after missing months while recovering from the knee injury. He finished with 17 points, three assists and two rebounds in 22 minutes, shooting 6-for-13 from the field and 2-for-6 from three-point range while converting all three of his free throws.
The Mavericks improved to 1-1 in the preseason, while Houston also moved to 1-1 after the teams split their two-game series in Macao. The Rockets had won Friday’s opener 135-117.
Dallas built its advantage through consistent scoring across all four quarters. The Mavericks led 28-27 after the opening period and extended their advantage to 58-51 at halftime. They then produced 37 points in each of the final two quarters to secure a 17-point victory.
Zaccharie Risacher scored 16 points for Dallas, shooting 7-for-13 from the field and 2-for-6 from beyond the arc. Cooper Flagg contributed 14 points, seven assists and four rebounds, while Naji Marshall added 14 points, three steals and two blocks off the bench.
Max Christie also scored 14 points, making two of his three three-point attempts, while Tarik Biberovic added eight points and two blocks. P.J. Washington finished with 10 points, including two three-pointers.
Dallas shot 48% from the field and 38% from three-point range, making 15 of 40 attempts from beyond the arc. The Mavericks also converted 35 of 39 free throws, an efficient 90% mark, and recorded 28 assists.
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Reed Sheppard added 17 points, including four three-pointers, while Amen Thompson recorded 14 points, seven rebounds and six assists. Jabari Smith Jr. also scored 14 points and grabbed nine rebounds, and Clint Capela contributed five points and nine rebounds.
The Rockets’ bench received nine points from Tari Eason and 12 from Oscar Tshiebwe, who shot 4-for-5 from the field and collected four rebounds. However, Houston committed 21 turnovers and shot just 30% from three-point range, making 14 of 47 attempts.
Houston shot 41% overall and 75% from the free-throw line. Its 50-46 rebounding advantage was not enough to overcome Dallas’ scoring efficiency.
Several notable Rockets players did not appear in the game, including Kevin Durant, Alperen Sengun and Fred VanVleet, all listed as DNP-coach’s decision. Steven Adams was also among the players who did not play. Dallas likewise had multiple players listed as DNP-coach’s decision, including Santi Aldama, Morez Johnson Jr., Dereck Lively II, Marcus Sasser and John Poulakidas.
