Amen Thompson and the Houston Rockets will open the 2026-27 NBA regular season by hosting Cooper Flagg and the Dallas Mavericks at the Toyota Center on Wednesday.
Dallas finished the 2025-26 NBA regular season with a 26-56 record. Forward Flagg, the No. 1 overall pick in the first-round of the 2025 NBA Draft, won Rookie of the Year.
Houston ended the season ranked No. 2 in the Southwest Division and No. 5 overall in the Western Conference. The Rockets saw their season come to an early end with a first-round playoff exit against the Los Angeles Lakers.
Mavericks vs Rockets TV Channel and Live Stream Options
Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images
- Time: 8:30 p.m. ET
- Venue: Toyota Center, Houston
- TV: NBA League Pass
- Live stream: YouTube TV
Fans can watch the game for free through various avenues. One option is Amazon Prime, where users can sign up for a seven-day free trial of NBA League Pass. Another option is DraftKings Sportsbook, which offers a three-month free trial. Users must submit a minimum deposit of $10.
Houston head coach Ime Udoka will see a similar roster for the 2026-27 NBA regular season. One of the biggest gains for the Rockets is the return of NBA champion point guard Fred VanVleet, who missed the entire 2025-26 NBA regular season due to injury. Houston also acquired forward Bogdan Bogdanović and guard Marcus Smart, while seeing the departure of forwards Dorian Finney-Smith and Josh Okogie.
Dallas’ first-year head coach, Dustin May, will work with new additions Santi Aldama, Tarik Biberovic, Zaccharie Risacher and Marcus Sasser while seeing the departure of Marvin Bagley III, AJ Johnson, Khris Middleton, Ryan Nembhard, Klay Thompson and Brandon Williams.
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