Tari Eason Scores 20 as Rockets Beat Mavericks 135-117

Houston Finishes Strong

Tari Eason scored 20 points, and the Houston Rockets used a 36-point fourth quarter to pull away for a 135-117 victory over the Dallas Mavericks on Friday, Oct. 9, 2026, at Venetian Arena. Houston entered the final period with a 99-80 lead and added to it as the visiting team secured the result.

The Rockets led 27-19 after the first quarter and stretched the advantage with a 38-26 second period, taking a 65-45 lead into halftime. Dallas answered with 35 points in the third quarter, but Houston matched the Mavericks' scoring with 34 points and carried a 99-80 edge into the fourth.

Houston's Contributors

Eason opened the fourth-quarter scoring with a 9-foot fadeaway and later added a 23-foot 3-pointer, followed by three free throws. Reed Sheppard also scored during Houston's early fourth-quarter push, while Bruce Thornton made a late 3-pointer and added other baskets and free throws.

Alperen Sengun finished with 10 assists and 10 rebounds for Houston. Fred VanVleet made three 3-pointers in the first quarter and added two more in the third, while Kevin Durant scored on multiple jump shots during Houston's run. The Rockets' 135 points came from a quarter-by-quarter total of 27, 38, 34 and 36.

Dallas Leaders and Records

Cooper Flagg led Dallas with 19 points. Dwight Powell had eight assists, and Zaccharie Risacher recorded eight rebounds. Dallas scored 19 points in the first quarter, 26 in the second, 35 in the third and 37 in the fourth.

The game was played before an attendance of 11,564 at Venetian Arena. Houston moved to 1-0 after the victory, while Dallas fell to 0-1.

Sources

ESPN