Dallas probably doesn’t need much motivation for another game against Houston. Giving up 38 points in one quarter while scoring 12 will do that.

That was the second quarter of their season opener, when Kevin Durant and Jabari Smith Jr. scored 30 points apiece and the Rockets rolled past the Mavericks 128–110. Cooper Flagg finished with 32 points, but Dallas spent most of the night trying to stop the bleeding.

Now, nine days later, the Mavericks get another chance.

Houston visits American Airlines Center on Friday at 7 p.m. Central for the opening night of Emirates NBA Cup group play. Dallas is coming off back-to-back wins. There’s a rematch to settle, a hot Houston team to slow down, and a chance for Dallas to show how much they've changed since that rough opener.

The Cup Makes This One Harder to Shrug Off

Houston and Dallas are in West Group A with Denver, Phoenix, and Utah. Each team plays four group games. The six group winners move on, along with the best second-place team from each conference.

Lose Friday, and nobody’s out. But you’ve just burned through a quarter of the schedule without a win, which means the next three games have to carry a lot more weight. That’s the squeeze this format creates.

Head-to-head is the first tiebreaker, followed by point differential.

Flagg Can’t Fix Everything by Scoring More

I get the natural thought to want to tell Flagg just to go trade buckets with Durant.

He’s already tried that though. Scoring wasn’t the problem.

Dallas turned it over 21 times in the opener. You can survive a rough shooting night against Houston. Giving the Rockets extra possessions while Durant and Smith are knocking down shots is a much worse deal.

The encouraging part is that Dallas has shown some fight since then. Flagg came back from a shoulder injury against Miami and finished with 29 points and 11 assists. He blocked Andrew Wiggins late, then blew past him for the clinching layup with 10 seconds left.

There were mistakes, too, including offensive fouls on back-to-back late possessions. But Dallas still trusted him to make the play at the end.

Dusty May said afterward:

We just put it in his hands and knew he would make a great decision.

That’s the version of Flagg Dallas needs Friday: aggressive enough to force help, patient enough to see what that help opens up. Getting downhill matters. Knowing when to move the ball matters just as much.

Durant Is the Headliner, but Houston Has Other Ways to Hurt You.

Durant against Flagg is the matchup worth making time for. There’s something pretty fun about watching a teenager try to solve problems against a guy who’s been creating those problems for NBA defenses since before Flagg could walk.

But Dallas can’t spend the whole night watching Durant.

Houston just beat Milwaukee 132–100 without Alperen Sengün. Fred VanVleet scored 24, Amen Thompson had 23, and Bogdan Bogdanović added 16 off the bench. Durant only took nine shots.

If that's how this team is going to play all year long, they've got a chance to make a really deep run.

VanVleet’s being back gives Houston someone who can organize the offense before things get frantic. Thompson can punish a defense that loses track of him. Smith already reminded Dallas what happens when he gets into a rhythm.

The Last Few Possessions Are the Test

If Dallas keeps this close, pay attention to how early both teams get into their offense.

Can Houston get Durant the ball in a spot where he has time to work? Can Dallas give Flagg room to attack without making him fight through three defenders every time? And can Kyrie Irving get involved before the possession turns into somebody dribbling against the clock?

The other big question: can either team finish a defensive possession without giving up another chance?

Houston’s already shown they can win that way. Thompson blocked Victor Wembanyama’s potential tying shot in San Antonio, and VanVleet followed with two free throws. It was a huge stop, but the Rockets still had to do the routine stuff afterward to make it matter.

They need more of that. They’ve won 52 games in back-to-back seasons and gone out in the first round both times. Looking good in October isn’t new for them. The interesting part is whether they can execute when down the stretch.

I’m taking Houston. Its offense has more ways to work, and Dallas still has to show they can handle this matchup without giving away possessions.

All stats courtesy of NBA.com.

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