The Mavericks avenged their October 9 loss to the Rockets with a 132-115 win in the October 11 rematch at Houston, surviving 12 lead changes and 7 ties before pulling away in the third quarter. Naji Marshall and Max Christie scored 14 points apiece off the bench, and Dallas's reserves closed out a game its starters had built to a 66-47 scoring split.
Bench Closes It Out
Dallas starters scored 66 points and the bench scored 47, but it was the bench that finished the game: Jett Howard, Sergio de Larrea, Seth Lundy, Tarik Biberovic and Tobi Lawal were the five on the floor in the final stretch. De Larrea's night said it all, a plus-30 in 19 minutes, better than anyone else on either roster. Marshall added three steals and two blocks to his 14 points, and Christie hit 2-of-3 from three to match his total.
Flagg's Box Score Misleads
Cooper Flagg's line reads well at a glance, 14 points, 4 rebounds, 7 assists, until the shooting shows up: 3-for-10 from the field, 1-for-4 from three, and a team-worst minus-9 on the floor. Call it a C. Zaccharie Risacher was the best Maverick on the night, 16 points on 7-for-13 with a steal, a block and a plus-7, an A-minus. Kyrie Irving went 6-for-13 for 17 points with a perfect 3-for-3 at the line, a solid B-plus. Daniel Gafford was the outlier, 9 points on 3-for-3 shooting but that team-worst minus-12 in just 15 minutes, a D-plus.
Rematch Sets Up Opener
Dallas gets one rest day before hosting the Pelicans on October 14, with no back-to-back in between. The next meeting with Houston is the regular-season opener on October 21, a third game between these two clubs inside two weeks. After the 18-point loss on October 9, a road win inside Houston's building is the first evidence that Dusty May's group can hold up against the Rockets' size with Gafford, Washington and Flagg sharing the floor.
Who won the Mavericks-Rockets rematch on October 11?
The Mavericks won 132-115 in Houston, avenging their 135-117 loss to the Rockets on October 9.
How did Cooper Flagg play in the win?
Flagg finished with 14 points, 4 rebounds and 7 assists but shot 3-for-10 from the field and posted a team-worst minus-9.
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