The United States’ National Basketball Association (NBA) held its NBA China Games 2026 at The Venetian Arena in Cotai on Friday and yesterday for the second consecutive year, alongside a fan interactive event on Saturday at the featured “NBA House” at Cotai Expo.
Dallas Mavericks, Houston Rockets face off in Cotai
The NBA China Games 2026 wrapped up last night at The Venetian Arena, with the Dallas Mavericks defeating the Houston Rockets 132–115 to split their two-game preseason series as Kyrie Irving made an encouraging return to the court after more than 500 days away from NBA action. The Rockets had previously claimed victory on Friday with a 135–117 win.
Both games drew a capacity crowd, with fans cheering loudly through back-and-forth performances from both teams. Among the guests attending the events were England’s retired football great David Beckham; Hong Kong movie star Fang Shilong, known professionally as Jackie Chan; co-founder of Alibaba Group Ma Yun, aka Jack Ma, and co-founder of Alibaba Group Joseph Chung-Hsin Tsai, owner of Brooklyn Nets. NBA legends who attended the event included Yao Ming, Jeremy Lin, Shawn Marion, Mitch Richmond, Ray Allen, and Carlos Boozer.
Last night, Irving scored 17 points in 22 minutes, shooting six of 13 from the court in his first game back. His performance drew praise from both teams’ coaches during the post-match press conference at The Venetian Arena, with Dallas’ coach Dusty May describing the veteran guard as “an artist who approaches basketball like a jazz musician”.
May said that Irving’s physical and mental condition had impressed him. He expected Irving’s shooting to improve further as he regained his rhythm.
Mavericks teammate Max Christie also welcomed Irving’s return, recalling how he opened the game with a characteristic scoring play. “The first possession of the game, he came out and scored in Kyrie [Irving] fashion,” Christie said to the media, adding that “he looked phenomenal.”
Meanwhile, Houston’s coach Ime Udoka said that Irving appeared close to his usual self, having watched him work out during the summer. “He looks like he has his balance, the same things I saw in practice and games every day when we were together in Brooklyn,” Udoka said.
Despite the defeat, Udoka was encouraged by the Rockets’ offensive balance, rebounding, and faster pace across the two preseason games. However, he identified turnovers* as a major concern, with the Rockets committing 22 in Sunday’s game after recording 21 in their previous meeting. “We had a good carryover in the first week and a half, two weeks of training camp, a little too sloppy at times,” he said, citing the need to improve ball security as the team approaches the regular season.
Udoka also praised Marcus Smart’s leadership and defensive contributions, saying the experienced guard would provide another point-guard option and help the team through demanding stretches of the schedule.
Meanwhile, May highlighted the benefits of having a mix of experienced players and developing young talent. The Mavericks coach praised rookie Cooper Flagg’s progress, saying the young forward had shown promise during the two games.
Moreover, Christie said that the Mavericks had improved after losing their first meeting with Houston, pointing to better teamwork, physicality, and communication. “I think we really improved on a lot of the stuff that we wanted to correct from the first game,” he said.
Observers said that the two games in Macau gave both teams an opportunity to assess their line-ups and build chemistry ahead of the regular season, while Irving’s return offered the Mavericks an encouraging glimpse of what their offence could achieve with the veteran guard back in action.
*A turnover is possession loss: An action where a team or player loses control of the ball to the opposing team (such as via a fumble, interception, or shot-clock violation). – Gemini
Dallas Mavericks coach Dusty May (up) and Houston Rockets coach Ime Udoka speak to the media during last night’s post-match press conference at The Venetian Arena in Cotai. – Photos: Rui Pastorin
