Houston Rockets beat Dallas Mavericks 128-110: Kevin Durant and Jabari Smith Jr. score 30 each as Houston wins the second quarter 38-12

Kevin Durant and Jabari Smith Jr. scored 30 points each, and the Houston Rockets outscored the Dallas Mavericks 38-12 in the second quarter on their way to a 128-110 win at Toyota Center on Wednesday, October 21. Alperen Sengun added 23 points and 10 rebounds as the three combined for 83 points.

Durant made 10 of 16 shots and 8 of 11 free throws, with 6 rebounds and 3 assists. He joined LeBron James as the only players to score 30 or more in a season opener in their 20th season or later. Smith shot 11-of-17 and 4-of-8 from three. Cooper Flagg led Dallas with 32 points, 23 of them after halftime, and Kyrie Irving scored 15 in his first regular-season game since tearing his left ACL in March 2025.

Kevin Durant, Jabari Smith Jr., and Alperen Sengun combined for 83 POINTS in Houston's win!

KD: 30 PTS, 6 REB, 3 AST
Smith Jr.: 30 PTS, 5 REB, 2 STL, 4 3PM
Alpy: 23 PTS, 10 REB, 5 AST pic.twitter.com/Q1ImMXFydy

— NBA (@NBA) October 22, 2026

Video: NBA / X.

How it turned

The first quarter was even. Tari Eason was ejected with 2:47 left in it after a flagrant 2 foul for shoving P.J. Washington to the floor, and Dallas led 26-24 after threes from Max Christie and Naji Marshall. Houston then went on a 41-10 run. Durant tied it at the line, Smith and Amen Thompson scored on a layup and a dunk to open the second, and threes from Bogdan Bogdanovic, Smith and Marcus Smart pushed the lead past 15. Sengun’s jumper with 18.8 seconds left made it 70-38 at halftime.

Sengun’s three made it 86-49 with 6:28 left in the third, the Rockets’ biggest lead. Dallas won the second half. Flagg scored 13 in the third, and the Mavericks closed the quarter on a 20-5 run that carried into the fourth. Durant was called for a flagrant 1 foul on Flagg 23 seconds into the final quarter, After Flagg’s free throws and a Reed Sheppard three, a Flagg layup and six straight points from Marcus Sasser cut it to 103-86 with 9:06 to play.

Houston answered right away. Smith hit a three, Durant made a jumper, and Fred VanVleet’s 27-footer made it 111-88 with 7:46 left. Durant added a three with 5:18 to go, and the lead never fell below 17 again.

3, 2, 1… 🚀

KD (30 PTS, 6 REB, 3 AST, 10-16 FGM) joins LeBron as the only players in NBA history to score 30+ PTS in a season opener in their 20th season or later.

The @HoustonRockets pick up the win at home! pic.twitter.com/iVVhkzw9F9

— NBA (@NBA) October 22, 2026

The numbers

Houston shot 53 percent from the field and 16-of-36 from three, handed out 32 assists and scored 32 points off Dallas’ 21 turnovers. The Rockets also grabbed 17 offensive rebounds and had 29 fast-break points to 17. VanVleet had 6 points and 11 assists in his first regular-season game since tearing his ACL, Thompson finished with 16 points and 10 rebounds, and Smart scored 10 off the bench on 4-of-6 shooting.

Dallas’ side

Flagg went 10-of-17 from the field and 11-of-13 at the line and added 3 steals. Sasser scored 17 off the bench on 6-of-8 shooting with four threes, and Marshall had 16 points and 6 assists. Irving made 6 of 9 shots in 24 minutes. Washington scored 10, and Christie went 1-of-7 from three. Dallas shot 52 percent but went 11-of-37 from deep and 17-of-26 at the line. The Mavericks played without Dereck Lively II (foot).

What’s next

The Rockets face the San Antonio Spurs at Moody Center in Austin on Friday, October 23 (9:30 p.m. ET, 4:30 a.m. Saturday Cairo time). The Mavericks visit the Indiana Pacers the same night (7 p.m. ET, 2 a.m. Saturday Cairo time).

Full box score and play-by-play: Game Center. All-time head-to-head.