(Photo credit: Troy Taormina)

Houston Rockets veteran guard Fred VanVleet was waiting for a moment like he had Wednesday in Milwaukee, a breakout performance after missing the previous season due to knee surgery.

VanVleet scored a season-high 24 points in the Rockets' 132-100 victory over the Bucks, including 15 consecutive points in the third quarter to help Houston establish a stranglehold. The 5-0 Rockets will face the host Dallas Mavericks for the second time this season on Friday after claiming a 128-110 home victory in the opener for both teams on Oct. 21.

The Rockets were without Alperen Sengun (back), Marcus Smart (elbow) and Steven Adams (calf) against Milwaukee but were undeterred by their absences. Their depth again played a key role in their success, with VanVleet pacing six Rockets in double figures.

'That's what we've got to pride ourselves on: next man up,' VanVleet said. 'Guys are going to be in and out. Our focus here is the big picture at the end of the year, so we need guys to be healthy throughout the long stretch, so just being cautious.

'But we've got enough talent to be able to get it in on a night in, night out basis.'

Amen Thompson added 23 points while shooting 10-for-16, and Kevin Durant tallied 18 points on nine shot attempts. Bogdan Bogdanovic and Clint Capela combined for 26 points on 10-for-12 shooting off the bench -- contributions that offset Sengun being sidelined.

'When guys are out, or guys have an off night, we feel like we can still stem the tide with other guys, and that's what we've been doing,' Rockets coach Ime Udoka said.

The Mavericks appear vastly improved year over year, despite their own injury attrition. Dallas rolled to a 120-96 win over the short-handed Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday, boosted by standout efforts from Cooper Flagg (26 points, eight assists), P.J. Washington (18 points, nine rebounds) and Kyrie Irving, who posted 15 points and four assists in his first home game since March 3, 2025.

Flagg had his way against the Thunder. He did not commit a turnover in 33 minutes of action.

'His ability to get in the paint (is key),' Mavericks coach Dusty May said of Flagg. 'They were bringing the double from the weak side, and he's able to navigate that. Several shots looked great; they just didn't drop.

'When you look at the shots he's getting, he's creating great looks for himself and his teammates, just like (Irving). When your franchise guys are that unselfish, it's very difficult not to fall in line and continue with playing good ball.'

Also noteworthy is the early two-way showcase provided by offseason acquisition Zaccharie Risacher, who paired 13 points with six rebounds against the Thunder in addition to sticky defense on two-time MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (21 points on 7-of-19 shooting, including 1-for-6 from long range).

'He's impacting every single possession,' May said of Risacher. 'The job he did on Shai in the second half -- I've watched a lot of Shai film, and you don't see that very often. To beat him to spots, to get deflections, to challenge shots without fouling. He was great.'

--Field Level Media