Friday’s NBA finals: Rockets shoot past Dallas, Grizzlies survive Chicago comeback

Houston’s shooting and Memphis’ late free throws produced the two NBA preseason wins on Friday. The Rockets beat Dallas 135-117 in Macao before the Grizzlies held off Chicago 104-100 at United Center.

The games took different paths to their final scores. Houston used a 38-point second quarter to create a twenty-point halftime advantage. Memphis led by ten at halftime, then had to defend a two-point lead in the closing seconds.

Rockets 135, Mavericks 117

Tari Eason scored twenty points and collected nine rebounds as Houston won the opening game of its China trip. Alperen Sengun recorded sixteen points, ten rebounds and ten assists, giving the Rockets production as both a scorer and a passer.

Houston shot eighteen-for-36 from three-point range. Dallas also made eighteen threes, but needed 51 attempts to reach that number. That difference in accuracy helped the Rockets build their lead: they won the first quarter 27-19 and the second 38-26, taking a 65-45 advantage into halftime.

Cooper Flagg scored nineteen points in nineteen minutes for Dallas, adding six rebounds and three assists. Fred VanVleet scored seventeen for Houston, while Reed Sheppard finished with sixteen. The Rockets scored at least 27 points in every quarter and ended the game shooting 47-for-86 from the field.

Dallas edged Houston in both quarters after halftime, but those small gains could not recover the deficit from the opening half.

Read the Mavericks-Rockets recap

The Mavericks’ official highlights show their scoring stretches from the Macao opener.

Grizzlies 104, Bulls 100

Ty Jerome led Memphis with sixteen points in fourteen minutes, making four of six threes. GG Jackson added fourteen, while Zach Edey and Cameron Boozer each scored ten.

Chicago recovered much of its halftime deficit during a 32-25 third quarter. Caleb Wilson led the Bulls with 21 points, including a three-pointer with 55.2 seconds left that brought Chicago within two at 102-100.

Wilson later missed a potential go-ahead three with two seconds remaining. Javon Small collected the rebound and made both free throws with seven-tenths of a second left to finish Memphis’ win. Small had already scored with 1:07 remaining to give the Grizzlies a five-point cushion before Wilson’s three.

Chicago shot thirty-for-eighty from the field and missed twelve of forty free throws. Memphis made 36 of 76 field-goal attempts and 22 of 26 free throws, providing enough offense to survive 22 total turnovers.

Read the Grizzlies-Bulls recap

Both games were final at the close of Friday’s schedule. The results give Houston a successful opening game in Macao and Memphis a road win decided by its final defensive rebound and two free throws.