Houston's preseason opener produced a 135-117 win over a short-handed Dallas squad, punctuated by Alperen Sengun's triple-double. The numbers worth tracking split between what happened Friday and what already existed in last season's record book.
Last season
Houston finished 52-30 with a net rating of 5.4, offense ranked eighth at 117.5, defense fifth at 112.1. The single best five-man group — Durant, Capela, Jabari Smith Jr., Eason and Sheppard — ran a plus-21.7 net rating across 23 games and 66 minutes. That number is real, but 66 minutes is a sliver of a season; it argues for more run together, not a settled closing lineup.
This summer
Payroll stands at $205.5M, clearing the league's $200.4M luxury-tax threshold. Durant and Sengun combine for close to $80M of that on their own. The spending buys continuity around a core Houston chose to keep together. It does not buy wins — that case gets made over 82 games, not on a payroll sheet.
Friday
Sengun posted 16 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists in 22 minutes, finishing plus-22 as Houston's lead over Dallas grew to 28 points without a single lead change. Durant added 15 points on 7-for-12 shooting in 23 minutes. Dallas was missing five regulars to injury, so the gap says more about depth than about Houston's defense against a full-strength opponent.
Final
Houston's starters outscored its bench only 68-67, with Tari Eason's 20 points off the bench the headline number. Reed Sheppard added 16 on 6-for-10 shooting in 19 minutes. That gap and two efficient bench lines look good in an exhibition. Whether they hold once Dallas is healthy and the games count is the question still open.
Did Alperen Sengun have a triple-double against the Mavericks?
Yes — 16 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists in 22 minutes during Houston's 135-117 preseason win on October 9, 2026.
Is Houston's payroll over the luxury tax?
Yes. Houston's $205.5M payroll sits above the league's $200.4M luxury-tax threshold, led by Kevin Durant ($43.9M) and Alperen Sengun ($35.6M).
