Kyrie Irving scored 17 points in his preseason return Sunday as the Dallas Mavericks beat the Houston Rockets 132–115 in Macao, splitting their two-game NBA China Games series.
Irving played 21 minutes, 56 seconds after more than 19 months away from game action. He tore his ACL in March 2025 and missed the entire 2025–26 season.
The official game record showed Irving shooting 6 of 13 from the field, including 2 of 6 from three-point range. He made all three free throws, added two rebounds and three assists, and committed no turnovers.
Dallas brought him straight into its starting lineup alongside Cooper Flagg. The second-year forward finished with 14 points and seven assists, while P.J. Washington also returned to the lineup.
Houston played without Kevin Durant, Fred VanVleet and Alperen Şengün. Marcus Smart scored 20 points in his Rockets debut, and Reed Sheppard added 17. Amen Thompson and Jabari Smith Jr. each scored 14.
The Mavericks capitalized on Houston’s turnovers and built their offense around transition opportunities. The result followed the Rockets’ win in the first meeting.
For Dallas, the most useful development was getting Irving back into live possessions with the players who will share the floor with him. A preseason scoring line offers an early look at that fit; his workload as the exhibition schedule gives way to the regular season remains the next point to follow.
Houston and Dallas are scheduled to meet again in their regular-season opener at Toyota Center on October 21, the Houston Chronicle reported.
Watch the official game recap. More coverage: TSP’s NBA section.
