Flagg Scored 19 in 19 Minutes — Houston's 36 Assists Exposed Dallas's Gap
GOATIFYCooper Flagg scored 19 in 19 minutes. Houston won 135-117 with 36 assists on 47 made field goals, while Alperen Sengun had 16 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists. Dallas did not have Kyrie Irving available. The China Games opener showed two very different forms of progress: a young player creating individual chances, and a veteran team making chances for one another. The rematch on Sunday will offer a better look at Dallas's offense if Irving returns.
Cover: Sengun in a January 2026 Rockets game, photograph by Pikraken, CC BY 4.0, archival not Macao.
Flagg's 19 Points Were Real — and Dallas Still Needed More
Flagg did not need a full game to make his case. He finished the first half with 19 points and six rebounds, shooting 7-for-14 in roughly 19 minutes before sitting out the second half. Dallas was badly outplayed as a team, yet the second-year forward repeatedly created something from difficult possessions. He attacked the paint, finished in transition and made a three-pointer after an early sequence that also included a block on Amen Thompson and an alley-oop finish.
That variety is more important than the raw scoring total. A player who manufactures points only through isolation gives defenses a straightforward problem. Flagg's best possessions were different: he turned defense into offense, recognized space early and moved decisively when teammates created an advantage. He also disrupted Houston in the opening minutes, helping pressure the Rockets into turnovers. Those plays suggested that his value will not depend on a single offensive role.
There is a limit to reading too much into a preseason half. Houston was experimenting with combinations, the defensive intensity changed, and neither team treated its rotation like a regular-season game. Still, Flagg looked physically assertive and more comfortable selecting his moments than he often did early in his rookie campaign. He was not simply taking extra shots because Irving was absent. He showed more ways to become the player Dallas can build actions around.
Flagg averaged 21.0 points, 6.7 rebounds and 4.5 assists as a rookie in 2025-26. His Duke season had advertised his two-way instincts, but the NBA demands quicker decisions against stronger opponents. In Macao, the speed of his reads stood out as much as his points. His scoring mattered because the rest of Dallas's starting group struggled to sustain offense while Houston pulled away.
For new coach Dusty May, the challenge is to protect that freedom without asking a teenager to rescue every broken possession. Flagg can pressure the rim, handle in transition and create mismatches. What he cannot do alone is organize four teammates through a full possession. Friday offered a glimpse of his ceiling and a reminder of why Dallas still needs structure around him.
Image: Cooper Flagg in an official Dallas Mavericks/NBA team portrait (2025), not a photograph of the Macao game.
Dallas's Young Rotation Could Not Match Houston's Rhythm
The scoreboard explained why Flagg's excellent half was not enough. Houston led 27-19 after one quarter, 65-45 at halftime and 99-80 after three. Dallas never led. The Rockets created separation with a 38-point second period and maintained it even when the Mavericks' reserves found better rhythm after the break. This was not a one-possession exhibition decided by a late bench lineup; Houston controlled the shape of the game.
Dallas still had useful individual auditions. Zaccharie Risacher, acquired during the offseason, finished with nine points and eight rebounds. His first-quarter shooting was shaky, but he grew more aggressive after halftime, cutting and attacking the lane rather than settling for passive perimeter possessions. Sergio de Larrea contributed 11 points and six assists, including confident outside shooting and a long transition pass that showed why the rookie's decision-making is worth watching. Tobi Lawal added 13 points in limited bench minutes, while Naji Marshall scored 16.
Those performances matter because May is evaluating more than a projected starting five. Dallas needs to know who can space the floor, who can handle a second-side action and which reserves can survive defensive switches without collapsing the possession. The China opener exposed a team still learning those relationships. Some new faces made encouraging plays, but too many possessions began without a clear advantage or ended with a difficult shot after Houston had already recovered.
The three-point comparison is instructive. Dallas made 18 of 51 attempts, a 35.3% rate. Houston also hit 18 threes but needed only 36 attempts, shooting 50%. Equal makes can hide a major difference in efficiency. The Mavericks needed far more shots to produce the same long-range output. Dallas did not lose solely because of perimeter shooting, but the volume gap helps explain why its bursts of offense could not consistently narrow the deficit.
Irving's absence is context, not an automatic excuse. Dallas held him out Friday while managing his return from the torn ACL suffered in March 2025. May indicated that Sunday, October 11, was the likely date for his first preseason action, although a plan is not a guarantee. His presence would change how the ball reaches Flagg, how early Dallas initiates actions and who steadies the group after a poor possession. The rematch will be a more meaningful chemistry test if Irving is cleared to play.
Archive: Rockets and Pistons contest a rebound in January 2026. Pikraken / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0. Illustrative Houston game action, not the Dallas matchup.
Şengün's Triple-Double and VanVleet's Return Showed Houston's Formula
Houston's 135 points were impressive, but the way the Rockets created them was the more promising sign. The team made 47 field goals and assisted on 36. That is a high share of baskets created through passing rather than a procession of difficult one-on-one shots. Houston shot 54.7% overall and 50% from three. It was one preseason game against a Dallas team missing a central playmaker, but the distribution suggested an offense capable of involving several scorers without losing its rhythm.
Şengün was the clearest example. His triple-double — 16 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists in less than 22 minutes — reflected more than a productive scoring night. When he catches the ball with teammates moving around him, he can punish a late rotation as a passer instead of forcing a shot through traffic. Ten assists are particularly encouraging for a team that wants its center to connect actions rather than carry the entire creative burden. Houston did not have to wait for a superstar isolation to get into useful offense.
VanVleet's return supplied another piece. After more than 500 days without NBA game action because of an ACL injury, the veteran guard scored 17 points, handed out seven assists and made five three-pointers. His value is not limited to the box score. He can deliver an entry pass before a defender establishes position, shift the ball to the weak side before a trap arrives and decide when to slow a frantic possession. Those details make life easier for Şengün, Kevin Durant and Houston's young wings.
Durant scored 15 points, while Tari Eason led Houston with 20 and Jabari Smith Jr. added 19. That spread of production is significant. Houston does not want every possession to end with Durant taking a contested jumper, particularly during the long regular season. Eason's scoring off the bench and Smith's finishing gave the Rockets other pressure points. The deeper rotation also contributed, a reminder that the preseason is about identifying combinations as much as winning.
There are reasons not to declare the offensive problems solved. Houston still committed 21 turnovers, a number difficult to absorb against a stronger, fully assembled opponent. The Rockets also benefited from unusually accurate three-point shooting, which will fluctuate. A 50% night from deep is evidence of a good performance, not a sustainable projection. What should travel from Macao to the regular season is the willingness to pass, the speed of decisions and the variety of players who can finish a well-created chance.
Yao Ming watched from courtside as Houston opened the two-game China showcase with a win. The setting recalled the franchise's global history, but the basketball lesson was immediate: when the ball moves early and often, the Rockets have enough skill to make opponents defend the entire floor.
Archive: Kevin Durant discussing Houston's defense in January 2026. Houston Roundball Review Media Group / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0. Interview image, not from Macao.
The preseason score is not a Western Conference verdict. Dallas's rotations are still experimental, and the Mavericks have not yet put their intended backcourt on the floor. But Friday exposed a real difference: Flagg supplied a remarkable first-half burst, while Houston showed how passing and multiple scoring threats can sustain an offense.
Sunday's rematch in Macao offers the next test. If Irving returns, Dallas can see whether his timing makes Flagg's attacks more productive. Houston can see whether VanVleet and Sengun continue to create quality shots when the opponent adjusts. One game gave the Rockets the result and Flagg the highlight reel; the next may reveal which lessons survive a new lineup.
