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The return of Kyrie Irving: Houston Rockets host Dallas Mavs in season opener

The Dallas Mavericks and reigning Rookie of the Year Cooper Flagg are in Houston to play the Rockets and Kevin Durant on Wednesday, 7:30 p.m. CST. Flagg averaged 21 points, 6.7 rebounds and 4.5 assists in his debut campaign. LINE…

NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth

Published: Wednesday, 21 October 2026 at 5:32 AM

Key Things to Know

Kyrie Irving returns from a torn ACL as the Dallas Mavericks visit the Houston Rockets in their season opener.
Reigning Rookie of the Year Cooper Flagg leads Dallas alongside new head coach Dusty May.
Masai Ujiri takes over Dallas front office leadership following the firing of former executive Nico Harrison.

The Story in 60 Seconds

The Dallas Mavericks travel to face the Houston Rockets in their NBA season opener on Wednesday. The game marks the return of veteran guard Kyrie Irving, who missed the entire 2025-26 season after suffering a torn ACL at the end of the 2024-25 campaign. Dallas is looking to build around reigning Rookie of the Year Cooper Flagg under first-time NBA head coach Dusty May.

Dallas features several changes, including new executive Masai Ujiri, who took over after the departure of Nico Harrison. Houston enters after posting a 52-30 record last season, while Dallas went 26-56. For the matchup, the Mavericks ruled out Dereck Lively II with a foot injury and Santi Aldama due to a knee injury.

Read the full article on NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth

The return of Kyrie Irving: Houston Rockets host Dallas Mavs in season opener

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