Flagg scores 19 as Mavericks drop Macao opener 135–117

Cooper Flagg scored 19 points in 19 minutes, but the Mavericks opened their preseason with a 135–117 loss to the Rockets on Friday in Macao.

Houston controlled the first half at The Venetian Arena, taking a 27–19 lead after one quarter and stretching it to 65–45 by halftime. Dallas won each of the final two quarters by one point, leaving most of the early deficit intact.

The NBA’s official game summary recorded no lead changes. Houston’s advantage reached 28 points, according to the ESPN box score, and the Mavericks never led.

Flagg supplied Dallas’ strongest scoring stretch. After scoring two points in the first quarter, he finished the half with 19. He added six rebounds and three assists and made all four of his free throws before sitting out the second half.

Plenty of threes, a gap in efficiency

Dallas’ new offense under Dusty May produced 51 three-point attempts. The Mavericks made 18, matching Houston’s total, but the Rockets needed only 36 attempts to reach it. That left Dallas at 35.3 percent and Houston at 50 percent from beyond the arc.

The Rockets also made 23 free throws to Dallas’ 11. Those extra points, combined with Houston’s first-half control, helped keep the game out of reach even as the Mavericks’ scoring improved after halftime.

Mavs Moneyball’s Gracie Villiard noted that Daniel Gafford’s first-quarter three came from a Sergio de Larrea kick-out. Gafford finished with seven points in eight minutes, a small early example of the range May has asked him to develop.

Dwight Powell added eight assists off the bench. De Larrea finished with 11 points and six assists, while Naji Marshall scored 16 and Max Christie added 14.

The Mavericks’ official highlight package shows their scoring moments from the opener, including the young group getting its first preseason work together.

Houston’s depth sets the pace

Tari Eason led the Rockets with 20 points and nine rebounds. Alperen Sengun recorded 16 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists in 22 minutes. Fred VanVleet added 17 points and seven assists, and Kevin Durant scored 15.

Dallas played without Kyrie Irving, Dereck Lively II, P.J. Washington, Santi Aldama, Marcus Sasser and Caleb Martin. Morez Johnson Jr. started at center and finished with four points in 12 minutes. The absences limited what Friday could reveal about May’s eventual regular-season rotation.

The teams meet again Sunday at The Venetian Arena before Dallas returns home for preseason games against New Orleans and Atlanta. That rematch gives the Mavericks an immediate chance to improve their shot efficiency and first-half defense after an opener Houston controlled from the start.