Mavs' slow start dooms them in season-opening loss to Rockets

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FOX 4
Published October 21, 2026 10:07 PM CDT

The Brief

    • The Dallas Mavericks lost their first game of the 2026-27 season to the Houston Rockets, falling by a final score of 128-110.
    • A poor shooting performance in the second quarter put Dallas in a 32-point deficit at halftime. Cooper Flagg scored 32 points in the loss.
    • Kyrie Irving played 24 minutes in this game, scoring 15 points. It was Irving's first NBA regular season appearance since tearing his ACL in March 2024.

HOUSTON, Texas - The Mavs' first game with Cooper Flagg and Kyrie Irving playing together quickly turned into a dud.

Dallas fell to the Houston Rockets by a 128-110 final score in their first game of the 2026-27 NBA regular season.

Mavs fall to Rockets

HOUSTON, TEXAS - OCTOBER 21: Kyrie Irving #11 of the Dallas Mavericks speaks with Cooper Flagg #32 during the second quarter of the game against the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center on October 21, 2026 in Houston, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly

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Local perspective:

Cooper Flagg, P.J. Washington, Daniel Gafford, Max Christie, and Kyrie Irving started for the Mavs. Flagg led the team by matching his jersey number with 32 points.

Flagg's 32 points were the most by a teenager in a season opener in NBA history.

Dallas trailed by an identical 32 points at halftime after missing all 14 three-pointers they took in the second quarter. Dallas shot only 4-19 from the field during that second quarter.

For the game, Dallas shot 51% from the field and 29% from three-point range.

Irving played in his first regular season game since tearing his ACL in 2024, scoring 15 points in 24 minutes.

Marcus Sasser was a bright spot in his first game for the Mavs. He scored 17 points off the bench and made four three-pointers.

The other side:

Kevin Durant, Jabari Smith Jr., Fred Van Vleet, Alperen Åžengün, and Amen Thompson started for Houston. 

Durant, Smith Jr., and Şengün all scored 23 points or more, with Durant and Smith Jr. both totaling 30 points.

Rockets forward Tari Eason was ejected in the first quarter after a hard shove on Washington.

What's next:

The Mavs' next game is on Friday, October 23, on the road against the Indiana Pacers at 6 p.m. CT.

Houston travels to San Antonio to face the Spurs on Friday, October 23, for their next game. That game tips at 8:30 p.m. CT.

The Source: Information in this story comes from the Dallas Mavericks and the Houston Rockets.

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