MACAO, China — The Houston Rockets fired on all cylinders in the opening game of the 2026 NBA China Games, rolling past the Dallas Mavericks 135–117 on Friday night at The Venetian Arena. The sellout crowd packed the venue to watch the Texas rivals square off in the first of two preseason meetings on Asian soil.

The Rockets’ offense hummed from tipoff. Houston shot 54% from the floor and knocked down 18 three-pointers on 36 attempts. Seven Rockets finished in double figures, with the bench unit outscoring Dallas reserves 67–55 to fuel the lopsided victory. Alperen Şengün turned in a tidy triple-double in limited minutes, posting 16 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists across 22 minutes. Kevin Durant suited up for Houston, scoring 15 points on 7-of-12 shooting with one three-pointer in 23 minutes; every touch drew loud MVP chants from the Macao stands. Fred VanVleet added 17 points and 7 assists, while Tari Eason led all scorers with 20 points off the bench. Once the lead ballooned, Houston pulled its starters for the entire fourth quarter.

For Dallas, 2025 No.1 overall pick Cooper Flagg was the bright spot. He poured in all 19 of his points before halftime, with 17 coming in a red-hot second quarter, then sat out the second half for load management. The Mavericks struggled from beyond the arc, shooting just 35% on threes, and could never claw back after Houston built a 20-point halftime advantage.

The stands had just as much star power as the hardwood. Retired NBA greats gathered for the event: Yao Ming, Shaquille O’Neal, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Ray Allen, Jeremy Lin, Stephon Marbury, Luis Scola and Shawn Marion were all in attendance. The Yao-Shaq side-by-side moment became a viral highlight for long-time hoops fans.

A stacked roster of global celebrities also watched courtside: David Beckham, Jackie Chan, Tony Leung, Carina Lau and Simon Yam. Business figures including Joe Tsai and Jack Ma occupied premium seats, with social media clips of Beckham and Jackie Chan taking selfies quickly trending online.

The second game of this China Games series will take place at the same venue on October 11, again pitting the Rockets against Mavericks.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The Memphis Grizzlies survived a late Chicago Bulls rally to secure a 104–100 preseason win on Saturday night. Memphis held off a furious fourth-quarter push from Chicago to hang on for the victory.

Quarter-by-Quarter Scoring

1st: Bulls 28, Grizzlies 24 2nd: Bulls 22, Grizzlies 29 3rd: Grizzlies 28, Bulls 23 4th: Grizzlies 23, Bulls 27 Final: Grizzlies 104 – Bulls 100

Memphis shot 47.4% from the field, going 10-for-31 from three-point range and converting 22-of-26 free throws. Chicago won the rebounding battle 55–52 but shot inefficiently all game, finishing at 37.5% from the floor, 12-for-34 on threes and 28-of-40 from the charity stripe.

Caleb Wilson led the Bulls with 21 points and four rebounds. Norman Powell chipped in 17 points, and Josh Giddey added 13 points. For Memphis, Ty Jerome paced the Grizzlies with 16 points and four assists, while GG Jackson contributed 14 points and four rebounds. The Bulls cut the deficit down to single digits late, but Memphis’ steady free throw shooting down the stretch closed the door on Chicago’s comeback bid. Preseason minutes management remained a priority for both coaching staffs, with neither team pushing its top rotation players deep into the fourth quarter.

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