Marcus Smart Scores 20, but Mavericks Beat Rockets 132-115

Dallas Takes Control

Marcus Smart scored 20 points, but the Dallas Mavericks defeated the Houston Rockets 132-115 on Sunday, Oct. 11, 2026, at Venetian Arena. Dallas, the visiting team, outscored Houston in each quarter and carried a 17-point advantage into the fourth.

The Mavericks also got 17 points from Kyrie Irving and seven assists from Cooper Flagg. Sergio de Larrea added seven rebounds for Dallas. For Houston, Amen Thompson had six assists and Jabari Smith Jr. collected nine rebounds.

Early Back-and-Forth

Dallas led 28-27 after the opening quarter. The teams traded the lead several times during the period, with Irving making a 25-foot 3-pointer and P.J. Washington also connecting from 25 feet for the Mavericks. Houston answered with three 3-pointers from Smith and one from Marcus Smart.

Dallas created separation in the second quarter, outscoring Houston 30-24. The Mavericks used baskets from Irving, Washington and Daniel Gafford to build a 55-42 lead before halftime. Houston trimmed the margin late in the half, but Dallas went to the break ahead 58-51.

Mavericks Pull Away

Houston came out quickly in the third quarter, moving in front 66-64 after Amen Thompson made a 23-foot 3-pointer. Dallas regained the lead with a 3-pointer from Flagg and closed the period with a 37-34 edge. The Mavericks led 95-85 entering the final quarter.

Dallas then scored the first four points of the fourth, extending the margin to 99-85. Houston’s Bogdan Bogdanovic made a 24-foot 3-pointer during a Rockets response, but Dallas continued to add to its lead. Zaccharie Risacher scored 11 fourth-quarter points, including a reverse dunk and a 23-foot 3-pointer, while Dallas finished the period ahead 37-30.

Records

The game was played before an attendance of 11,711 at Venetian Arena. Houston fell to 1-1 after the loss, while Dallas also moved to 1-1 with the victory.

Sources

ESPN