The undefeated Houston Rockets put their unblemished record on the line Friday night as they travel to the AmericanAirlines Center to face the Dallas Mavericks in their opening game of the NBA Cup. The contest marks the fourth meeting between the Southwest Division rivals in October alone, following a pair of preseason exhibition matchups in Macau and a 128-110 Houston victory in the regular-season opener at the Toyota Center on Oct. 21.
Houston enters the matchup following a dominant 132-100 routing of the Milwaukee Bucks on the road. In that contest, Fred VanVleet paced the team with 24 points and five assists as the Rockets blew open a close game with a commanding 34-14 second quarter. The win came despite the absence of standout center Alperen Sengun, who is averaging 24.5 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 7.0 assists per game. Sengun has been upgraded to questionable for Friday’s tilt due to lower back soreness, though head coach Ime Udoka and his staff must also weigh resting him ahead of Saturday’s second leg of a back-to-back against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Backup guard Marcus Smart also missed the Milwaukee victory with a left forearm strain and is listed as questionable to return against Dallas. Meanwhile, the Rockets have ruled out Reed Sheppard due to lower back soreness, Steven Adams with a right soleus strain, and two-way G League players Julian Phillips and Quadir Copeland.
Dallas comes into the matchup carrying its first winning streak of the young season, having recently pulled off a 120-96 upset over the Oklahoma City Thunder. Forward Cooper Flagg starred in that victory with 26 points and eight assists, building on a stellar 29-point, 11-assist performance in a prior win in Miami. The Mavericks are hunting for their first three-game win streak since stringing together four consecutive victories from Jan. 15-22 last season. Neither franchise advanced past the group stage into the knockout rounds of last year’s inaugural NBA Cup.
The Mavericks’ injury report features several significant absences and game-time decisions. Forward-guard Naji Marshall is questionable due to an illness, while Caleb Martin has been cleared to play despite wearing a right thumb splint. Long-term absentees include center Dereck Lively II and guard Sergio de Larrea, both sidelined by right foot and knee surgeries, respectively, alongside doubtful players Santi Aldama recovering from knee surgery and Tarik Biberovic battling right heel bursitis.
Historically, the Rockets hold a 108-98 advantage in the regular-season series and have claimed six of the past nine matchups against Dallas. However, the Mavericks swept both home contests against Houston last season and carry a three-game home winning streak at the AmericanAirlines Center against their state rivals, having last dropped a game there on Oct. 31, 2024.
Projected starters for Houston list Kevin Durant alongside Jabari Smith, Alperen Sengun, Fred VanVleet, and Amen Thompson. Dallas is projected to open with Cooper Flagg, PJ Washington, Daniel Gafford, Kyrie Irving, and Max Christie.
Durant’s stellar integration into the lineup has drawn high praise from the coaching staff. “It’s the reason he’s here, a guy that’s going to put up 25 on average, shoot high percentages, be very efficient and draw a lot of attention that will free up other guys,” Udoka said of the veteran forward. “We were lacking a go-to scorer/finisher at times. He’s lived up to that and more.”
Betting markets position the Rockets as 5.5-point favorites with a moneyline price of -238, while the Mavericks sit as +195 underdogs. The over/under total for the contest is set at 223.5 points.
