The Rockets led by 30-plus points at halftime and cruised to a win in their opener as they welcomed back veteran guard Fred VanVleet after he missed all of last season.

The Dallas Mavericks injury for their season opener against the Houston Rockets on Wednesday, October 21, has been revealed.

Kyrie Irving scored 35 points, Cooper Flagg added 33 and the Dallas Mavericks rallied for a 116-111 victory over Houston, handing the Rockets their first loss of the season in an NBA Cup opener.

The Rockets' Tari Eason didn't even make it out of the first quarter in the first game of the season after getting ejected for a hard shove he delivered against P.J. Washington.

Dallas beat Houston 111-116, and gave the Rockets their first loss of the season in the first game on the NBA Cup.

Friday, Oct. 9, 7:10 a.m. CT, Venetian Arena, Macao (China) TV: NBA TV Radio: Sportstalk 790 AM (Houston), KEGL (Dallas) VITALS: T

The Houston Rockets and Dallas Mavericks renew their Texas rivalry in an exciting Southwest Division showdown featuring two teams with plenty of young talent and postseason ambitions. How to Watch Rockets vs Mavericks Houston enters the 2026-27 season looking

The Dallas Morning News' Mike Curtis recapped Dallas' thrilling win over Houston as Cooper Flagg and Kyrie Irving put on a show for fans.

The Houston Rockets and Dallas Mavericks meet Friday at American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas in NBA Cup action. Tip-off is set for 8 p.m. ET.