Mavericks Beat Rockets 132-115 as Marcus Smart Scores 20

Dallas Controls the Finish

Marcus Smart scored 20 points for the Houston Rockets, but the Dallas Mavericks pulled away for a 132-115 preseason victory Sunday at Venetian Arena in Macao, the second of the teams' two NBA China Games. Dallas led after each quarter, taking a 28-27 advantage after the first and carrying a 58-51 lead into halftime.

Kyrie Irving led Dallas with 17 points. Zaccharie Risacher added 16, and Cooper Flagg had 14 points and seven assists, while Sergio de Larrea finished with seven rebounds. For Houston, Reed Sheppard scored 17, Amen Thompson recorded six assists and Jabari Smith Jr. had nine rebounds.

Quarter-by-Quarter Progression

The Mavericks added to their margin in the second quarter, outscoring the Rockets 30-24. Houston made its strongest push after halftime, opening the third quarter with six straight points, and Thompson's 23-foot 3-pointer briefly put the Rockets ahead 66-64. Dallas still won the period 37-34 and entered the final quarter leading 95-85.

Dallas then matched its third-quarter output with 37 points in the fourth, while Houston scored 30. The Mavericks' largest lead was 19 points at 132-113 before Oscar Tshiebwe's late jumper set the final margin. The quarter sequence was 28-27, 30-24, 37-34 and 37-30 in Dallas' favor.

Notable Scoring

Smart made 7 of 13 shots, including four 3-pointers. Irving opened the game with a two-point shot and later added a 25-foot 3-pointer, and P.J. Washington made a 3-pointer in each of the first two quarters. Daniel Gafford scored nine points, all in the second quarter.

Records

The game drew an attendance of 11,711. The teams split their two preseason games in Macao, with Houston winning the first 135-117, and both clubs are 1-1 in the preseason.

Sources

ESPN