Rockets vs. Mavericks Preview: Dallas Experiments in Macao

Houston gets the edge in a preseason game where Dallas is more focused on learning than winning.

HOU @ DAL Oct 9, 2026 at 12:00 PM UTC

The Rockets and Mavericks open their preseason schedules in Macao, part of the NBA China Games series. With the early tip and the overseas setting, this feels like a showcase more than a normal exhibition, and the details that matter most are on the Dallas side.

Dusty May makes his NBA head coaching debut after coming over from the college ranks, and he has had only about a week of camp to install his systems. He has been open about his approach: this is a fact-finding mission. His teams want to win every drill and every shooting competition, but winning is not the primary objective. That framing should shape how Dallas uses this game, with lineup tests and rotation looks taking priority over a polished finish.

The most intriguing question is how Kyrie Irving, back from a long injury absence, fits next to Cooper Flagg. This could be the first on-court look at the two together. Beyond them, the starting group is unsettled. A few spots are open, and PJ Washington's role is unclear while rival teams believe Dallas, with its crowded forward group, might field offers for him. Any rotation built on that uncertainty is likely to be uneven, especially in the early stretches.

This is preseason, so the result matters far less than the information gathered. Still, a Dallas team deliberately experimenting with combinations, and still working through who plays where, gives Houston a modest edge on a night when Dallas is not chasing a win. I expect Dallas to show flashes with Irving and Flagg, but I lean toward the Rockets pulling away late, 110-103.

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