Mavericks–Rockets Rivalry
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The Mavericks–Rockets rivalry also known as the Battle of Texas, and the I-45 Rivalry is a
National Basketball Association The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). The NBA is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Ca ...
(NBA)
rivalry A rivalry is the state of two people or groups engaging in a lasting competitive relationship. Rivalry is the "against each other" spirit between two competing sides. The relationship itself may also be called "a rivalry", and each participant ...
between the
Dallas Mavericks The Dallas Mavericks (often referred to as the Mavs) are an American professional basketball team based in Dallas. The Mavericks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division (NBA), Southwest Divisi ...
and the
Houston Rockets The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston. The Rockets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division (NBA), Southwest Division of the Western Conference (NBA) ...
. As of the end of the 2025 NBA season, the Rockets lead the regular season series, 105-96. The two teams have met three times in the
playoffs The playoffs, play-offs, postseason or finals of a sports league are a competition played after the regular season by the top competitors to determine the league champion or a similar accolade. Depending on the league, the playoffs may be eithe ...
, with the Mavericks holding a 2-1 series record.


History

The Mavericks played their inaugural season in
1980 Events January * January 4 – U.S. President Jimmy Carter proclaims a United States grain embargo against the Soviet Union, grain embargo against the USSR with the support of the European Commission. * January 6 – Global Positioning Sys ...
, joining the Rockets in Texas, who had moved to Houston in the 1972 NBA season. Both teams joined the San Antonio Spurs as the three NBA teams in Texas. The teams first faced each other on October 29, 1980. Houston won the first matchup 109-103. The teams first met in the playoffs in 1988 in the first round. The Mavericks, the third seed, defeated the Rockets, the sixth seed, in five games. On April 11,
1995 1995 was designated as: * United Nations Year for Tolerance * World Year of Peoples' Commemoration of the Victims of the Second World War This was the first year that the Internet was entirely privatized, with the United States government ...
, the Mavericks defeated the Rockets 156–147 in double overtime. Two years later, the Rockets and Mavericks played the first-ever regular season game played in
Mexico City Mexico City is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Mexico, largest city of Mexico, as well as the List of North American cities by population, most populous city in North America. It is one of the most important cultural and finan ...
, which was won by the Rockets 108–106. In
2005 2005 was designated as the International Year for Sport and Physical Education and the International Year of Microcredit. The beginning of 2005 also marked the end of the International Decade of the World's Indigenous Peoples, Internationa ...
, the teams would meet again in the postseason. Houston, the fifth seed, took a 2-0 series lead over the fourth seeded Mavericks, but lost the series in seven games. During the
2013 NBA Playoffs The 2013 NBA playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 2012–13 season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Conference champion Miami Heat defeating the Western Conference champion San Antonio Spu ...
, then Mavericks owner
Mark Cuban Mark Cuban (born July 31, 1958) is an American businessman and television personality. He is the former principal owner and current minority owner of the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and co-owner of 2929 Entertain ...
and Rockets general manager
Daryl Morey Daryl Morey (born September 14, 1972) is an American basketball executive who is the president of basketball operations of the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). His basketball philosophy, heavily reliant on analyt ...
exchanged posts on
Twitter Twitter, officially known as X since 2023, is an American microblogging and social networking service. It is one of the world's largest social media platforms and one of the most-visited websites. Users can share short text messages, image ...
. In the 2014 offseason former Rockets forward Chandler Parsons signe an offer sheet to leave the Rockets to for the Mavericks for $46 million, while making negative statements about the city of Houston upon leaving. Both teams met in the first round of the
2015 NBA playoffs The 2015 NBA playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 2014–15 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion Golden State Warriors defeating the Eastern Conference champion Cleve ...
, with the Rockets as the second seed and Mavericks the seventh seed, with Rockets winning the series in five games.


Season-by-season results

, - , , style=";" , Rockets , style=";" , , style=";" , Rockets, , style=";" , Rockets, , style=";" , Rockets
, Dallas Mavericks join the NBA as an expansion team and are placed in the Midwest Division. Houston Rockets move from the Eastern Conference to the Western Conference and are placed in the Midwest Division alongside the Mavericks.
On February 4, 1981, Rockets beat the Mavericks 116–68, their largest victory against the Mavericks with a 48-point differential.
Rockets lose
1981 NBA Finals The 1981 NBA World Championship Series was the championship round of the National Basketball Association (NBA)'s 1980–81 season, and the culmination of the season's playoffs. It pitted the 62–20 Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics ...
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, , - , , style=";" , Rockets , style=";" , , style=";" , Rockets, , style=";" , Rockets, , style=";" , Rockets
, Rockets win the Midwest Division for the first time.
Rockets lose
1986 NBA Finals The 1986 NBA Finals was the championship series of the National Basketball Association's (NBA) 1985–86 season, and the culmination of the season's playoffs. It pitted the Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics against the Western Con ...
. , - , , Tie , , style=";" , Mavericks, , style=";" , Rockets, , style=";" , Rockets
, Mavericks win the Midwest Division for the first time. , - , , style=";" , Mavericks , style=";" , , style=";" , Mavericks, , style=";" , Mavericks, , style=";" , Rockets
, , - style="background:#f2f2f2; font-weight:bold;" , 1988 Western Conference First Round , style=";" , Mavericks , style=";" , , Tie, , style=";" , Mavericks, , style=";" , Rockets
, 1st postseason series. , - , , style=";" , Rockets , style=";" , , style=";" , Rockets, , style=";" , Rockets, , style=";" , Rockets
, , - , , style=";" , Mavericks , style=";" , , style=";" , Mavericks, , style=";" , Mavericks, , style=";" , Rockets
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, , - , , style=";" , Rockets , style=";" , , style=";" , Rockets, , Tie, , style=";" , Rockets
, Rockets win the Midwest Division. , - , , style=";" , Rockets , style=";" , , style=";" , Rockets, , style=";" , Rockets, , style=";" , Rockets
, Rockets win the Midwest Division.
Rockets win
1994 NBA Finals The 1994 NBA Finals was the championship series of the National Basketball Association's (NBA) 1993–94 season, and the culmination of the season's playoffs. The Western Conference champion Houston Rockets played the Eastern Conference cham ...
, their first NBA championship. , - , , style=";" , Rockets , style=";" , , Tie, , style=";" , Rockets, , style=";" , Rockets
, On April 11, 1995, at Houston, Mavericks beat the Rockets 156–147 in double overtime, their most points scored in a game against the Rockets and their most points scored in a game overall as a franchise.
Rockets win
1995 NBA Finals The 1995 NBA Finals was the championship series of the National Basketball Association's (NBA) 1994–95 season, and the conclusion of the season's playoffs. The series pitted the Eastern Conference champion Orlando Magic against the defen ...
. , - , , style=";" , Rockets , style=";" , , Tie, , style=";" , Rockets, , style=";" , Rockets
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, , - , , style=";" , Rockets , style=";" , , style=";" , Rockets, , style=";" , Rockets, , style=";" , Rockets
,
Compaq Compaq Computer Corporation was an American information technology, information technology company founded in 1982 that developed, sold, and supported computers and related products and services. Compaq produced some of the first IBM PC compati ...
renamed Rocket's home stadium The Summit to Compaq Center.
On December 7, 1997, Rockets beat the Mavericks 108–106 at
Palacio de los Deportes Palacio de los Deportes () is an indoor arena located in Mexico City, Mexico. It is within the Magdalena Mixhuca Sports City complex, near the Mexico City International Airport and in front of the Estadio GNP Seguros, in which sports and arti ...
in
Mexico City Mexico City is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Mexico, largest city of Mexico, as well as the List of North American cities by population, most populous city in North America. It is one of the most important cultural and finan ...
,
Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...
. The game is accounted for as a Dallas home game. , - , , Tie , , style=";" , Rockets, , style=";" , Mavericks, , style=";" , Rockets
, Rockets win 11 games in a row against the Mavericks.
First time away team sweeps the season series. , - , , style=";" , Rockets , style=";" , , Tie, , style=";" , Rockets, , style=";" , Rockets
, , - , - , , Tie , , Tie, , Tie, , style=";" , Rockets
, First time both teams split the season series.
Last season Mavericks played at
Reunion Arena Reunion Arena was an indoor arena located in the Reunion, Dallas, Reunion district of downtown Dallas, Texas, United States. The arena served as the primary home of the National Hockey League's (NHL) Dallas Stars and the National Basketball Ass ...
. , - , , Tie , , Tie, , Tie, , style=";" , Rockets
, Mavericks open up
American Airlines Center The American Airlines Center (AAC) is a multi-purpose List of indoor arenas, indoor arena located in the Victory Park, Dallas, Victory Park neighborhood in downtown Dallas, Texas. The arena serves as the home of the Dallas Stars of the National ...
. , - , , style=";" , Mavericks , style=";" , , style=";" , Mavericks, , style=";" , Mavericks, , style=";" , Rockets
, Mavericks sweep the Rockets in the season series for the first time.
Mavericks win the season series and finish with a winning record at home for the first time since the 1991 season.
Last season Rockets played at Compaq Center (formerly known as The Summit). , - , , style=";" , Mavericks , style=";" , , style=";" , Mavericks, , Tie, , style=";" , Rockets
, Rockets open up
Toyota Center Toyota Center is an indoor arena located in Houston, Texas, United States. It is named after the Japanese automobile manufacturer Toyota. The arena is home to the Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association (NBA), and it was once th ...
. , - , , Tie , , Tie, , Tie, , style=";" , Rockets
, As part of new realignments, Mavericks and Rockets move to the new Southwest Division. , - style="background:#f2f2f2; font-weight:bold;" , 2005 Western Conference First Round , style=";" , Mavericks , style=";" , , Tie, , style=";" , Mavericks, , style=";" , Rockets
, 2nd postseason series.
Mavericks come back from 0–2 to win the series.
In Game 7 at Dallas, Mavericks beat the Rockets 116–76, their largest victory against the Rockets with a 40-point differential. , - , , style=";" , Mavericks , style=";" , , style=";" , Mavericks, , style=";" , Mavericks, , style=";" , Rockets
, Mavericks lose
2006 NBA Finals The 2006 NBA Finals was the championship series of the National Basketball Association's (NBA) 2005–06 season, and the conclusion of the season's playoffs. The Dallas Mavericks were favored to win the championship over the Miami Heat. Despit ...
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, Mavericks win the Southwest Division for the first time.
Mavericks finish with the best record in the league (67–15). , - , , style=";" , Mavericks , style=";" , , Tie, , style=";" , Mavericks, , style=";" , Rockets
, , - , , Tie , , Tie, , Tie, , style=";" , Rockets
, , - , , Tie , , Tie, , Tie, , style=";" , Rockets
, Mavericks win the Southwest Division. , - , - , , style=";" , Mavericks , style=";" , , style=";" , Mavericks, , style=";" , Mavericks, , style=";" , Rockets
, Mavericks win 2011 NBA Finals, their first NBA championship. , - , , style=";" , Mavericks , style=";" , , style=";" , Mavericks, , style=";" , Mavericks, , style=";" , Rockets
, , - , , style=";" , Mavericks , style=";" , , style=";" , Mavericks, , Tie, , Tie
, Mavericks win 9 games in a row against the Rockets. , - , , Tie , , Tie, , Tie, , Tie
, , - , , style=";" , Rockets , style=";" , , Tie, , style=";" , Rockets, , style=";" , Rockets
, Rockets win the season series and finish with a winning record at home against the Mavericks for the first time since the 1999 season.
Rockets win the Southwest Division for the first time. , - style="background:#f2f2f2; font-weight:bold;" , 2015 Western Conference First Round , style=";" , Rockets , style=";" , , Tie, , style=";" , Rockets, , style=";" , Rockets
, 3rd postseason series. , - , , Tie , , Tie, , Tie, , style=";" , Rockets
, , - , , style=";" , Rockets , style=";" , , style=";" , Rockets, , style=";" , Rockets, , style=";" , Rockets
, Rockets finish with a winning record at Dallas for the first time since the 1998 season. , - , , style=";" , Rockets , style=";" , , style=";" , Rockets, , style=";" , Rockets, , style=";" , Rockets
, Rockets record their 100th win over the Mavericks.
Rockets win the Southwest Division.
Rockets finish with the best record in the league (65–17). , - , , Tie , , Tie, , Tie, , style=";" , Rockets
, Rockets win the Southwest Division. , - , , style=";" , Rockets , style=";" , , style=";" , Rockets, , Tie, , style=";" , Rockets
, On July 31, 2020, Rockets beat the Mavericks 153–149 in overtime, their most points scored in a game against the Mavericks.
Rockets win the Southwest Division. , - , - , , style=";" , Rockets , style=";" , , style=";" , Rockets, , Tie, , style=";" , Rockets
, Mavericks win the Southwest Division. , - , , style=";" , Mavericks , style=";" , , style=";" , Mavericks, , style=";" , Mavericks, , style=";" , Rockets
, Mavericks sweep the season series and finish with a winning record at Houston against the Rockets for the first time since the 2011 season. , - , , style=";" , Mavericks , style=";" , , Tie, , style=";" , Mavericks, , style=";" , Rockets
, Mavericks record their 100th win over the Rockets. , - , , style=";" , Mavericks , style=";" , , style=";" , Mavericks, , Tie, , style=";" , Rockets
, On November 28, 2023, at Dallas, the Mavericks beat the Rockets 121–115 during the 2023 NBA In-Season Tournament group stage.
Mavericks win the Southwest Division.
Mavericks lose
2024 NBA Finals The 2024 NBA Finals was the championship series of the National Basketball Association (NBA)'s 2023–24 NBA season, 2023–24 season and conclusion to 2024 NBA playoffs, the season's playoffs. In the best-of-seven playoffs series, the Eastern ...
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2005 2005 was designated as the International Year for Sport and Physical Education and the International Year of Microcredit. The beginning of 2005 also marked the end of the International Decade of the World's Indigenous Peoples, Internationa ...
,
2015 2015 was designated by the United Nations as: * International Year of Light * International Year of Soil __TOC__ Events January * January 1 – Lithuania officially adopts the euro as its currency, replacing the litas, and becomes ...
, - , Regular and postseason , style=";" , Rockets , style=";" , , style=";" , Mavericks, , style=";" , Rockets, , , -


See also

*
National Basketball Association rivalries Throughout more than 76 seasons, the National Basketball Association (NBA) has had many intense rivalries. This article lists some of the famous rivalries in the NBA. Rivalries are classified into three primary groups; intradivisional, interdivis ...
* Governor's Cup ( NFL rivalry between
Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. T ...
and
Houston Texans The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston. The Texans compete in the National Football League as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. The team plays its home games at N ...
) *
Lone Star Series The Lone Star Series (also known as the Silver Boot Series) is a Major League Baseball (MLB) rivalry featuring Texas' two major league franchises, the Houston Astros and Texas Rangers. It is an outgrowth of the "natural rivalry" established by ...
(
MLB Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...
rivalry between
Houston Astros The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, West Division. They are one of two major leag ...
and Texas Rangers) * Texas Derby (
MLS Major League Soccer (MLS) is a professional soccer league in North America and the highest level of the United States soccer league system. It comprises 30 teams, with 27 in the United States and 3 in Canada, and is sanctioned by the United ...
rivalry between
Houston Dynamo Houston Dynamo Football Club is an American professional soccer club based in Houston. The club competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Western Conference. Established on December 15, 2005, the club was founded after their fo ...
and
FC Dallas FC Dallas is an American professional Association football, soccer club based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The club competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Western Conference (MLS), Western Conference. The franchise be ...
)


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mavericks-Rockets rivalry Dallas Mavericks Houston Rockets NBA rivalries 1980 establishments in Texas