Dallas Pulls Away Late
The Dallas Mavericks closed with a 37-30 fourth quarter and defeated the Houston Rockets 132-115 on Sunday, Oct. 11, 2026, at Venetian Arena. Marcus Smart scored 20 points for Houston, while Kyrie Irving led Dallas with 17 points.
Dallas held a 10-point advantage after three quarters and added to it through the final period. The Mavericks opened the fourth with a pair of Naji Marshall free throws, then Houston answered with baskets from Bruce Thornton and Bogdan Bogdanovic. Dallas maintained control as Zaccharie Risacher scored on a 3-pointer, tip-in dunk, reverse dunk and two-point shot during the quarter.
Game Flow
The Mavericks led 28-27 after the opening quarter. Houston briefly moved in front early in the second, taking a 31-28 lead after Amen Thompson's 16-foot pullup jump shot. Dallas responded with a 9-0 run on baskets from P.J. Washington, Naji Marshall and Kyrie Irving, moving ahead 37-31.
Dallas carried a 58-51 lead into halftime. Daniel Gafford scored 12 points during the second quarter's scoring sequence, including a dunk and a driving layup, while Smart made a 3-pointer and a driving layup for Houston. Reed Sheppard also added a 3-pointer and a running dunk in the period.
Houston narrowed the gap in the third quarter. Amen Thompson's 3-pointer gave the Rockets a 66-64 lead, but Dallas regained control before the quarter ended. Max Christie made a 3-pointer, and Cooper Flagg and Naji Marshall added baskets as the Mavericks finished the period ahead 95-85.
