Tari Eason’s first regular-season game after signing an $81.5 million contract extension this summer ended in a hurry.
The 25-year-old Rockets forward was tossed minutes into the 2026-27 opener against the Mavericks after a heated stretch with P.J. Washington boiled over. Eason had been battling Washington physically throughout the early going, but the situation crossed the line when he shoved him to the floor with just minutes left in the first quarter.
Eason’s final line was short and rough: two points, one rebound, and one steal in 1-for-2 shooting from the field, good for 50.0% FG. His night was over before the game ever settled in.
After the ejection, Eason’s mother, Teroya Eason, shared his side of the moment on social media after speaking with him. She wrote, “Two minutes, one steal, two points.
Could be worse. He said he kept pushing him in his ribs and back on the box out.
No excuses. We gotta tighten up on the mind work.
We’re better than that,” she wrote on X.
The call set off a wave of reaction online, with fans split over whether the officials got it right. Some blasted the ejection outright, while others felt the penalty was too severe for what unfolded.
The comments ranged from “Our first ejection of the season. 🤣🤣🤣 “ to “That’s not a flagrant 2 lol, refs are s-t.” Others pointed to the opening-night nature of the incident, writing, “Tari Eason ejected during Game 1 of 82.
Wow. I’m not sure F2 was the right call; it looked more like F1.”
Still more fans said, “There was no need to do that,” and “De’Aaron Fox threw Chet to the ground last night, and it’s a flagrant 1, but the hip check from Tari is a flagrant 2?”
Teroya Eason later returned to X and took aim at the officiating, arguing that the Mavericks were not being held to the same standard. “Wait, where’s his flagrant on KD????
Don’t act like y’all didn’t see that! Get PJ outta here!”
she said.
Before the game, Ime Udoka had spoken positively about Eason’s progress, saying he had improved his health, looked more “bouncy” and “explosive,” and was becoming more consistent as a shooter. That added anticipation around what Eason might bring in Game 1.
Even without him, the Rockets were rolling. They carved up Dallas’ defense and led by 32 at halftime, 70-38.
So while Eason’s debut was overshadowed by the ejection, Houston’s dominant first half still gave its fans something to like. The bigger issue for Eason now is cleaning up the composure piece after a start like that, especially with a new extension in hand.
In Other News...
Mavericks Opener Puts Dallas New Era Under Immediate Pressure
The Mavericks are walking into the 2026-27 season with a nearly remade look and very little room to ease into it, opening on the road against Houston as the franchise starts a new era under fresh front office leadership and first-year coach Dusty May. Dallas will lean on a group that includes seven new players, with rookie Cooper Flagg expected to be central to the next step after a historic debut season, and the opener already carries the feel of an early gauge on how quickly all the moving parts can come together.
Kyrie Irving gives the roster another major piece in the backcourt, while rookie Morez Johnson Jr. is part of the influx of new talent the Mavericks are counting on to reshape the rotation. For a team trying to bounce back from last season, the challenge is not just about talent but about timing, chemistry and whether a roster with this much turnover can settle in fast enough to survive a tough first test. [Read more 🡒]
Kyrie Irvings Return Left Mavericks Fans With One Immediate Concern
Kyrie Irvings long-awaited return gave Mavericks fans their first real look at how the backcourt will function early in the new season, and it came on a night packed with other notable debuts and fresh starts around the league. The second night of the 2026-27 schedule also featured a slate of high-profile returns and new-team appearances, but in Dallas, all eyes were on how Irving would fit back into a group trying to sort out its identity.
The game itself offered a mixed early read on that partnership, especially with reigning Rookie of the Year Cooper Flagg now in the mix. Irving was on the floor for only 24 minutes and never returned for the fourth quarter in the loss to Houston, leaving the Mavericks with one obvious question to carry into the next stretch of the season: how quickly can this version of the team get its best players on the same page? [Read more 🡒]
Mavericks Opener Raised One Big Question About Flagg And Kyrie
Dallas came out of its season opener with an unmistakable reminder of how much this group is still sorting out on offense. The Mavericks fell to the Rockets 128-110, and the loss exposed familiar issues in shooting, turnovers and transition defense while putting extra pressure on the team's scoring and playmaking depth. For all the buzz around the new-look roster, the opener turned quickly into a night where Dallas had trouble keeping pace.
Cooper Flagg still gave the home crowd something to hold onto, even in defeat, by carrying a heavy scoring load in his first game with the spotlight on him. But the broader question the opener raised was bigger than one hot start or one rough result, because Dallas has to figure out how to create cleaner looks and steadier offense when the game starts getting away from it. How that balance develops with Kyrie Irving in the mix will be one of the more important threads to watch as the season settles in. [Read more 🡒]