Rockets vs Mavericks was never really a contest. Kevin Durant scored 30 points as the Houston Rockets rolled past the Dallas Mavericks 128-110 on Wednesday night, with Alperen Sengun and Jabari Smith Jr. combining for 53 more in a dominant season-opening win at Toyota Center.
The Rockets shot 53.4 percent from the floor, led by Durant (10-for-16), Sengun (9-for-15) and Smith (11-for-17). Sengun posted 23 points and 10 rebounds, while Smith scored 30 and hit four three-pointers. Houston outscored Dallas 38-12 in the second quarter and led by as many as 37 in the third before the visitors rallied late.
Houston’s big three delivers
Durant was efficient and decisive in his Rockets debut, picking apart Dallas’ defense from midrange and beyond the arc. Sengun controlled the paint on both ends, and Smith’s perimeter shooting stretched the Mavericks’ defense to the breaking point.
“Houston, which outscored Dallas 38-12 in the second quarter, led by as many as 37 points in the third quarter before the visitors rallied,” according to reports — a run that effectively decided the game before halftime.
Mavericks left searching
Dallas never recovered from the second-quarter avalanche. The Mavericks’ defense had no answer for Houston’s ball movement, and the 18-point final margin flattered the visitors after a late cosmetic run.
The result also underlined how tight the Western Conference projects to be this season. Both Texas franchises entered the night with playoff ambitions, and a two-point margin felt about right for a rivalry that has produced a string of close finishes in recent years. Houston’s young core has been knocking on the door, while Dallas continues to reshape its rotation around its stars, and nights like this one will decide seeding when April arrives.
For the Rockets, the takeaway is resilience. They absorbed the Mavericks’ best punch in the fourth quarter, never let the lead change hands in the final minute, and closed the game with defensive stops when it mattered most. For Dallas, the film will show a winnable game slipping away — the late rally was spirited but left too much to do in too little time. The rematch, whenever it comes, just got a little more interesting.
The Rockets open 1-0 with a statement about their Western Conference ambitions. For Dallas, it’s back to the drawing board after a humbling night in Houston — opening week has shown the West will punish slow starts.
