The Houston Rockets and Dallas Mavericks will open their preseason in a setting built for the moment: Friday at 7:10 a.m. CT at Venetian Arena in Macao, China, as part of the NBA China Games.
It’s the second time NBA teams have met in Macao, following last season’s Brooklyn Nets-Phoenix Suns matchup. Rockets legend Yao Ming has again been part of the welcoming committee, and the teams will run it back on Sunday in the same arena.
Dallas could also have a notable first look on Friday. New head coach Dusty May plans to play Kyrie Irving on the trip, putting the veteran guard in line to debut in Game 1 of the China Games.
There’s been some extra chaos around the Mavericks already. Wing Naji Marshall broke a rim during a practice session, a small preseason oddity that only adds to the trip’s early buzz.
Houston enters the preseason with more than a few reasons to pay attention. The Rockets are getting key pieces back, with Fred VanVleet and Steven Adams both returning from injuries, while the staff also gets a chance to evaluate how much the younger players have improved since the offseason.
The matchup also arrives with plenty of long-view intrigue around both teams. For Houston, there are a lot of x-factors in play for 2026-27, and Steve Nash has already praised three young Rockets who could be ready to make a leap this season.
There’s also been chatter around the Mavericks’ star guard situation beyond this trip. Kevin Durant has spent a lot of time talking with Kyrie Irving as Irving moves toward his return from injury, and rumors are already swirling that the veteran duo would love to reunite once again.
As for the series history, Houston holds a 107-98 edge over Dallas in regular-season play and has won five of the last eight meetings.
May said the China Games should serve a purpose beyond the exhibition label.
"We’re very thankful for this opponent. Houston is going to be able to expose some things with us.
The physicality, the intensity they play with is something our young players need to see and need to feel, especially after a long offseason. This should shock our systems and get us prepared to hopefully play championship-level basketball."
In Other News...
Amen Thompson Looks Ready For The Leap Rockets Fans Want
Since the James Harden trade in 2021, the Rockets have been built around the patient work of the draft, and Amen Thompson has quickly become one of the clearest reasons for optimism. He has already established himself as one of the NBAs best defensive players, and his offensive game has taken enough of a step forward that Houston rewarded him with a new long-term commitment.
Now the next phase is about expanding what he can do with the ball and whether his growing all-around game can take another leap. The Rockets brought in shooting specialist Chip Engelland to help sharpen Thompsons offensive toolkit as he enters his fourth season, a move that underscores how much the organization believes there is still room for him to grow into something even bigger. [Read more 🡒]
Rockets Face A Kyrie Wrinkle In Macau This Weekend
Kyrie Irving is set to make his return to the floor this weekend in Macao, but the Rockets will see him only once over the two-game set. After a 19-month absence that included an ACL tear and a calf strain, the Mavericks point guard is back in the mix, and his workload is being handled carefully as Dallas continues easing him into action.
Mavericks coach Dusty May said the team still has not settled on which of the two games Irving will play, with the decision tied to how he looks physically. For Houston, it adds a small wrinkle to an overseas trip already carrying extra attention, especially with Ime Udokas team still being evaluated early in the season and the West starting to take shape around them. [Read more 🡒]
Rockets Fans Just Got Pulled Into A Familiar Star Trade Debate
Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving crossing paths at midcourt in Macao before the Rockets and Mavericks met in preseason was the kind of scene that instantly gets the trade rumor mill humming. The NBAs official account posted the exchange, and for Houston fans, it landed at a moment when the Rockets are trying to keep building after an offseason of additions and a first-round playoff exit that exposed how much more offense this group still needs.
Irvings situation is the one that keeps drawing attention around these conversations, because Dallas has reasons to think hard about its future direction while he works his way back from a torn ACL. Houston is watching from a distance, of course, but any familiar star trade debate inevitably pulls the Rockets into the frame, especially when Durant is part of the picture and the league is already looking ahead to what the next move might be. [Read more 🡒]