Game date, time and location: Wednesday, Oct. 21, 7:40 p.m. CT, Toyota Center, Houston, Texas
TV: Space City Home Network (Houston), KFAA (Dallas)
Radio: Sportstalk 790 AM (Houston), KEGL (Dallas)
VITALS: The Rockets and Mavericks played a pair of exhibition games in Macao, so the division rivals will have a great handle on one another’s personnel entering the regular-season opener. After a 135-117 win in the opener paced by an Alperen Sengun triple-double, the Mavs won the second matchup 132-115 as the Rockets rested Kevin Durant.
Houston returned from China and played the Oklahoma City Thunder at home, winning 116-89. Reserve guard Bogdan Bogdanovic scored a team-high 15 points. New Mavs head coach Dusty May is making his NBA regular season debut. Besides guard Fred VanVleet, center Steven Adams is also returning from a season-ending injury. The Rockets are 107-98 against the Mavericks in the regular season all-time, winning five of the last eight. Udoka is just 6-6 vs. Dallas.
The state rivals are in different places this season -- the Rockets are expected to be just below Oklahoma City and San Antonio in the Western Conference, while Dallas falls into another tier of teams that has a shot to make the Play-In Tournament if all breaks right. That will be determined largely by the ascent of Cooper Flagg, who lived up to his No. 1 draft billing as a rookie.
Houston has extended its young core, and is relying on future Hall of Fame forward Kevin Durant to get them over the top. The Rockets lost in the first round to the injury-ravaged Lakers last postseason, with Durant getting hurt during the series.
PROJECTED STARTERS
ROCKETS
F Kevin Durant
F Jabari Smith
C Alperen Sengun
G Fred VanVleet
G Amen Thompson
MAVERICKS
F Cooper Flagg
F PJ Washington
C Daniel Gafford
G Kyrie Irving
G Zaccharie Risacher
INJURY REPORT
ROCKETS
C Steven Adams: Questionable, Right Calf Tightness/Soreness
Julian Phillips: Questionable, Illness
MAVERICKS
F Santi Aldama: Out, Right Knee Surgery
C Dereck Lively: Out, Right Foot Surgery
F/G Caleb Martin, Out, Right Thumb Sprain
F Tarik Biberovic, Out, Right Heel Bursitis
G/F Jett Howard, Questionable, Right Calf Tightness
BETTING LINES (via DraftKings Sportsbook)
Spread: Rockets -10.5 (-108), Mavericks +10.5 (-112)
Moneyline: Rockets -440, Mavericks +340
Total points scored: 229.5 (Over -108, Under -112)
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
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QUOTABLE
"My voice never left. That was the benefit of staying around the team last year. Being out there on the court to fix things, to be that connector, to put out the fires and just to make guys' lives easier. That’s been the most visible thing is just seeing how much better we’re flowing and how connected we are. We’ve had a long training camp but it’s been a very effective one." - Rockets guard Fred Van Vleet
STORYLINES
Rockets star Kevin Durant reflects on his goals entering 20th season
Head coach Ime Udoka reveals plans for back-to-backs for key vets
KD doesn’t care where you rank his Rockets
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