Dallas fell behind by 28 in the second quarter and never got the deficit under double digits, losing its preseason opener to Houston 135-117. Cooper Flagg posted a team-high 19 points but a team-worst -15, while a reserve lineup led by Tobi Lawal kept the final margin from matching the peak deficit.
Two Runs, One Rout
Houston's defining stretch came in the second quarter. The Rockets ran off 10 straight points to turn a 34-26 edge into 44-28, then followed with another 9-0 burst that made it 58-34. Dallas answered with an 8-0 run of its own to get back to 60-41, but a 9-0 Houston push in the third quarter and a 10-0 run to open the fourth, turning 101-83 into 111-86, pushed the lead to its final peak of 28. The Mavericks trailed by double digits the rest of the way and lost 135-117.
Flagg's Line, Minus The Result
Cooper Flagg led Dallas with 19 points on 7-of-14 shooting, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, a steal and a block in 19 minutes — strong production that still grades out as a C+ with a team-worst -15 attached. Naji Marshall matched Flagg's 7-of-14 clip for 16 points but was -13 in 24 minutes, the same mark Zaccharie Risacher carried alongside his team-high 8 rebounds. Max Christie's night reads as a B-: 4-of-11 from three for 14 points, still finishing -12.
Reserves Closed It Out
With the outcome decided, Dusty May's bench took the final minutes — Moussa Cisse, Sergio de Larrea, Seth Lundy, Tarik Biberovic and Tobi Lawal matched up against Houston's own reserves. Lawal's 13 points on 5-of-6 shooting in 15 minutes produced the only positive plus-minus on the Mavericks, +2, and de Larrea added 11 points and 6 assists in 24 minutes. The bench scored 55, five points shy of the starters' 62. Dallas gets a direct rematch with Houston in two days, before preseason games against the Pelicans and Hawks follow.
What was the final score of the Mavericks' preseason opener against the Rockets?
Houston won 135-117 after building a 28-point second-quarter lead; Dallas never cut the deficit into single digits.
How did Cooper Flagg play in the loss to Houston?
Flagg scored a team-high 19 points on 7-of-14 shooting with 6 rebounds, 3 assists, a steal and a block in 19 minutes, but finished -15, the worst plus-minus on the Mavericks.
