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Rockets Trap Irving in Season-Opening Rout of Mavericks
Houston built a 32-point halftime lead and cruised to a 128-110 victory behind strong defense on the eight-time All-Star.
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May's NBA Debut Turns Sour
Dallas coach Dusty May opened his NBA career with a 128-110 loss to the Rockets. The 32-point halftime deficit marked the largest ever in a head coach's first game with a team. The Mavericks committed twice as many turnovers as field goals in the second quarter and finished 4 of 19 from the floor in that period, including 0 of 14 from three-point range.
Irving Held in Check on Return
Kyrie Irving played 24 minutes in his first regular-season game since March 2025 and finished with 15 points on 6-of-9 shooting. He scored just four points before halftime while the Rockets repeatedly sent extra defenders at him. Irving also had three turnovers in the opening half as Houston focused its game plan on the guard.
Flagg Leads Late Push but Mavs Fall Short
Cooper Flagg scored 23 of his game-high 32 points after halftime. Kevin Durant and Jabari Smith Jr. each finished with 30 points for Houston. The Rockets outscored Dallas 38-12 in the second quarter and added 20 fast-break points in the first half alone as the Mavericks struggled with transition defense.
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