Durant and Smith Score 30 Each as Rockets Rout Mavericks 128-110, Flagg Nets Record 32

The Houston Rockets beat the Dallas Mavericks 128-110 at the Toyota Center on Wednesday night, and one quarter decided it. Houston outscored Dallas 38-12 in the second quarter, led 70-38 at halftime, and never let the opener for both teams get close again. Kevin Durant and Jabari Smith Jr. scored 30 points each for Houston.

One quarter ends it

Dallas trailed 32-26 after the first quarter and then fell apart. The Mavericks committed 13 turnovers in the first half and 21 in the game, and Houston scored 32 points off Dallas turnovers on the night. At one stretch Dallas missed 17 straight three point shots, Sports Illustrated reported. Houston shot 53.4 percent from the field and 44.4 percent from three. Alperen Sengun added 23 points, 10 rebounds and five assists, Amen Thompson had 16 points and 10 rebounds, and Fred VanVleet ran the offense with 11 assists.

It was the first regular season game under new Dallas head coach Dusty May, and his team spent the second half playing from a 32 point hole. Dallas outscored Houston in both the third and fourth quarters, 38-30 and 34-28, but the damage was done before halftime.

Flagg sets a record in defeat

Cooper Flagg gave Dallas its one bright line. Flagg scored 32 points on 10 of 17 shooting, with five rebounds and two assists. Sports Illustrated reported it is the most points by a teenager in NBA history in a season opener. Flagg, the reigning Rookie of the Year, also had three steals and one block. Kyrie Irving scored 15 points in his season debut, Marcus Sasser had 17 off the bench, and Naji Marshall added 16.

Durant made 10 of 16 shots and added six rebounds and three assists in 37 minutes. Smith made 11 of 17, including 4 of 8 from three. Marcus Smart scored 10 points for Houston. By the middle of the third quarter Houston had built its lead on a 51-16 run that started early in the second, and Dallas never got the margin back under control.

Dallas actually won the second half 72-58, with Sasser and Marshall combining for 33 points off the bench, a sign the rotation has scoring beyond its starters. But a team that gives the ball away 21 times and falls 32 points behind in one half has no margin left for a comeback of that size.

Houston starts 1-0. Dallas starts 0-1 and goes to Indiana on Thursday, Oct. 23. Houston visits San Antonio the same night.