With 17 points, 7 assists, five 3-pointers, and only one turnover, Fred VanVleet excelled in his return from injury as Houston opened its preseason by routing Dallas, 135-117 (box score). VanVleet missed all of the 2025-26 season due to an ACL tear in his right knee. Now 32 years old, he is returning to his […]
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The Dallas Mavericks fixed their problem of not shooting enough threes in their preseason opener against the Houston Rockets, but they still didn't shoot these threes efficiently enough.
Kevin Durant felt the love from the crowd in Macao during the Houston Rockets ' 135-117 preseason win over the Dallas Mavericks in the opening game of the NBA China Games 2026. Durant received MVP chants from the fans at The Venetian Arena on Friday, which he said felt particularly meaningful after years of playing in front of familiar NBA crowds. "It felt incredible," Durant said after the game. "Sometimes back at home, we play so many games in front of the same people, sometimes they take us...
Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg's first preseason game against the Houston Rockets made it seem like his superstar leap is coming right now. Flagg finished with 19 points in 19 minutes.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver remains optimistic that the league can reach an agreement with EuroLeague despite recent disagreements over the future of European basketball. Speaking to CNBC in Macao, where the Houston Rockets and Dallas Mavericks opened the 2026 NBA China Games, Silver dismissed suggestions that negotiations had reached a particularly difficult stage. “It’s like […]
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The Houston Rockets opened their preseason with a 135-117 victory over the Dallas Mavericks on Friday morning at The Venetian Arena in Macao, China. The matchup gave both teams an early opportunity to evaluate their rosters, build chemistry, and prepare for the upcoming NBA season. Houston established control early, taking a 27-19 lead after the […]
MACAO — Cooper Flagg scored 17 of his 19 points in the second quarter Friday and sat the entire second half as the Dallas Mavericks opened the preseason. It was the first NBA game for Mavericks coach Dusty May. The Houston Rockets built a 25-point lead before halftime and won 135-117 at The Venetian Arena, […]
The Dallas Mavericks were routed by the Houston Rockets, 135-117, in an early-morning preseason matchup on Friday. The game was the Mavericks’ first of two in Macao as they face the Rockets in the NBA China Preseason miniseries. Dallas echoed the same offensive struggles they faced throughout last season in Friday’s loss. Kyrie Irving, Dereck […]
Dallas Mavericks young star Cooper Flagg is adding another weapon to his offensive game, and Kevin Durant has provided some of the inspiration. Flagg, 19, showed off several mid-post fadeaways during Dallas' 135-117 preseason loss to the Houston Rockets on Friday in Macao, China. He led the Mavericks with 19 points and six rebounds on 7-of-14 shooting despite playing only 19 minutes, all in the first half. Asked afterward about incorporating the shot into his arsenal, Flagg pointed to Durant, ...
As the Dallas Mavericks opened their 2026-27 NBA preseason with a 135-117 loss to the Houston Rockets on Friday in China, star guard Kyrie Irving’s recent comments about Cooper Flagg may have provided some clarity regarding his future with the franchise amid potential trade speculation. Speaking with Grant Afseth of Dallas Sports Journal, Irving praised […]
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As the Houston Rockets prepare for the 2026-27 NBA season, star forward Kevin Durant admitted he was saddened by former teammate Russell Westbrook’s recent retirement, believing the former MVP still had another five or six years left in his career. During a recent press conference, Durant reflected on Westbrook’s decision to walk away from the […]
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The Dallas Mavericks tipped off a four-game preseason slate on Friday against the Houston Rockets, losing 135-117 at the Venetian Arena in Macao, China. Dallas’ goal in the preseason opener was clearly to get a good look at all the new players on the roster, to see how the rookies mix in and to see […]
MACAO — Kyrie Irving will make his unofficial return Sunday when the Dallas Mavericks face the Houston Rockets in the second of two preseason games at The Venetian Arena, Mavericks coach Dusty May said Friday. Sunday will be Irving’s first game since he tore his left ACL against the Sacramento Kings on March 3, 2025. […]
MACAO — Morez Johnson Jr. started at center in his NBA debut Friday as the Dallas Mavericks opened the preseason against the Houston Rockets at The Venetian Arena. Mavericks coach Dusty May started Naji Marshall and Max Christie at guard, with Cooper Flagg and Zaccharie Risacher at forward. Dallas took Flagg first overall in 2025, […]
Ime Udoka believes Fred VanVleet’s return will improve Houston’s ball security, but says the entire roster must contribute.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver remains confident that the league will reach an agreement with EuroLeague over the future of European basketball, despite recent reports of difficult negotiations and rejection . "It's like any negotiation. It's ongoing," Silver told CNBC in Macao , where the Houston Rockets and Dallas Mavericks opened the 2026 NBA China Games on Friday. "I think it's too extreme to say it's a rough patch. We've been going back and forth with EuroLeague." "They're the existing pan-...
Fred VanVleet wasted no time reminding everyone what the Houston Rockets had been missing. After 523 days away from NBA action, the veteran point guard returned Friday in Houston’s NBA China Game matchup against the Dallas Mavericks. He immediately made his presence felt with back-to-back three-pointers. The 32-year-old looked comfortable from the opening minutes. He […]
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Dallas Mavericks fans waiting to watch Kyrie Irving back in action against the Houston Rockets for a preseason matchup will have to wait a little longer to see his return to game action. The Mavs guard was ruled out for Friday’s preseason matchup against the Rockets in Macao, China, as he continues his recovery from […]
The post Is Mavericks’ Kyrie Irving back from ACL injury for China Games vs. Rockets? appeared first on ClutchPoints .
The Mavericks begin their 2026-2027 campaign on Oct. 9th against the Houston Rockets in an early morning game in Macau, China. As with almost every single year, the Mavericks enter their first preseason game with massive questions surrounding the roster, with a near complete overturn of their 2025 roster. What is the starting lineup? The […]
Houston Rockets vs. Dallas Mavericks October 9th, 2026 Location: The Venetian Arena Macao, China TV:NBA TV and Space City Home Network Radio:KBME Sports Talk 790 / KLTN 102.9 (en español) Probable Starting Lineups Rockets: Fred Vanvleet, Amen Thompson, Jabari Smith Jr., Kevin Durant, Alperen Sengun Mavericks: Kyrie Irving, Max Christie, Cooper Flag, P.J. Washington Jr.Dereck […]
Cooper Flagg getting ready to play his sophomore year in the NBA, where he is yet to play a game with his Dallas Mavericks teammate, Kyrie Irving . Irving is set to make a comeback following his ACL injury, which caused him to sit out all of the 2026-27 season. Ahead of the Mavericks' first preseason games in Macao, China for the NBA China games against the Houston Rockets , Flagg broke down what has changed in the way they play since last year. "It's great. I think we have a lot of guys that ...
MACAO — Naji Marshall said at shootaround Friday that the Dallas Mavericks are ready to compete against somebody else, hours before their preseason opener against the Houston Rockets at The Venetian Arena. The game is the first of two between the teams at the NBA China Games, with the second on Sunday. It is also […]
MACAO — Cooper Flagg said Thursday that a successful NBA China Games trip for the Dallas Mavericks means competing hard no matter who is on the floor, a day before Dallas opens the preseason against the Houston Rockets. The teams play Friday and Sunday at The Venetian Arena. Mavericks coach Dusty May said Thursday that […]
Marcus Smart was convinced to move on from the Los Angeles Lakers after not receiving the value and consideration he thinks he deserves. The new Houston Rockets offered a new perspective behind his exit from LA this past offseason during his media availability ahead of the NBA China Games 2026. "I mean, I wouldn't say it's unnatural," Smart told reporters if he felt bizarre leaving the Lakers. "Definitely, I had some thoughts. Definitely thought I played well enough to at least be offered a de...
Kevin Durant‘s first year with the Houston Rockets was cut short by an unfortunate injury before the start of the playoffs. He suffered a left ankle bruise days before Round 1 and was forced to sit out. He reportedly suffered the injury during a drill. The two-time champion is still playing at a high level. [...]