DALLAS — The Dallas Mavericks will open the 2026-27 season at Houston on Oct. 21, one of 21 games currently scheduled for national television.
Dallas opens against Kevin Durant and the Houston Rockets at 7:30 p.m. CT. The Mavericks visit Tyrese Haliburton and the Indiana Pacers on Oct. 23. They return home the next night to face Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs.
It will be the first time since 2023-24 that Dallas begins a season away from home. The Mavericks opened at American Airlines Center in each of the past two years. The San Antonio matchup also makes it three straight seasons with the Spurs as the opponent for Dallas’ home opener.
Dallas finished 26-56 last season, while Cooper Flagg gave the Mavericks one of their bright spots by winning Rookie of the Year. Flagg finished his first season averaging 21.0 points, 6.7 rebounds and 4.5 assists.
This will be the Mavericks’ 47th season and their 26th playing at American Airlines Center.
Dallas Mavericks Get 21 National TV Games
Dallas has 21 national TV games as the schedule stands: eight on NBC, six on ESPN, four on Prime Video, two on Peacock and one on ABC. Local broadcast information will come later.
Dallas does not have to wait long for its first national TV game. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder come to Dallas for an ESPN game Oct. 28. The Mavericks are back on ESPN at San Antonio on Nov. 4.
Other national TV home games include Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors on Nov. 18, Houston on Jan. 31 and San Antonio on Feb. 9.
Dallas’ only ABC game is one of the biggest dates on the home schedule. Luka Dončić and the Los Angeles Lakers visit American Airlines Center on Sunday, Feb. 28, at 2:30 p.m. CT.
That game starts a three-game home stretch with plenty of star power. Golden State visits March 2, followed two nights later by Jalen Brunson and the defending NBA champion New York Knicks.
Houston Opens Regular Season And NBA Cup
Houston shows up three times on the Mavericks’ early schedule.
The Mavericks begin their preseason against the Rockets on Oct. 9 at The Venetian Arena in Macao as part of the NBA China Games 2026. Houston hosts Dallas in the regular-season opener Oct. 21, then the teams meet again nine days later at American Airlines Center.
The Oct. 30 game also opens NBA Cup Group Play for Dallas.
The Mavericks host Darryn Peterson and the Utah Jazz on Nov. 6 before playing their final two group games on the road. Dallas visits Nikola Jokić and the Denver Nuggets on Nov. 24, followed by Devin Booker and the Phoenix Suns on Nov. 27.
The NBA Cup knockout rounds are scheduled for Dec. 4, 5, 8, 9 and 11, with regular-season games also scheduled for Dec. 6, 7 and 10. Opponents for Dallas’ games No. 22 and 23 will be determined by the NBA Cup results.
The championship game is scheduled for Dec. 11 at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
Stars Headed To American Airlines Center
Oklahoma City makes two trips to Dallas, beginning with the Oct. 28 matchup. The Thunder return Jan. 18. Gilgeous-Alexander enters the season as the reigning two-time NBA MVP after Oklahoma City finished 64-18 last season.
Several other notable Eastern Conference opponents make their only Dallas appearances later in the season.
Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Miami Heat visit Dec. 29. Cade Cunningham and the Detroit Pistons come to American Airlines Center on Jan. 29 after a 60-win season.
LeBron James and the Philadelphia 76ers visit on Presidents’ Day, Feb. 15, for a 1:30 p.m. CT game on NBC.
Seven non-divisional opponents visit Dallas twice: Golden State, the Los Angeles Clippers, Oklahoma City, Phoenix, the Portland Trail Blazers, the Sacramento Kings and Utah.
March Road Trip Highlights Difficult Finish
The Mavericks will spend plenty of time on the road late in the season. Ten of their final 15 games are away from American Airlines Center.
The longest trip runs from March 17 through March 24, with five games against Western Conference opponents. Dallas plays Oklahoma City, San Antonio, the Lakers, Clippers and Minnesota Timberwolves. Four of the five made the playoffs last season.
Two games on the trip are on national TV. Dallas plays at Oklahoma City on ESPN on March 17 and faces Dončić and the Lakers on NBC on March 21.
Dallas gets one home game against the New Orleans Pelicans on March 26, then goes back on the road for games at Washington and Milwaukee. Denver visits American Airlines Center on March 31 to finish the month.
The regular season ends April 11 at home against the Memphis Grizzlies.
January is the busiest month on the schedule with 17 games. Dallas also has two four-game homestands, one from Feb. 6 through Feb. 11 and another from March 9 through March 15.
Dallas has 16 back-to-backs on the schedule. Eight are road-road sets and four are home-home. Three start on the road and finish at home, while one starts in Dallas and ends on the road.
Single Game Tickets On Sale
Tickets are going on sale the same day as the schedule release.
Single-game tickets go on sale Thursday at 5 p.m. CT and will be available through 11:59 p.m. CT on Saturday, Aug. 15. According to the Mavericks, it is the first time in more than a decade they have put single-game tickets on sale immediately after the schedule came out.
Chase cardholders can buy tickets early Thursday, with access running from 3 p.m. until the general sale begins at 5 p.m. CT.
Tickets can be purchased at mavs.com/tickets or by calling (214) 747-MAVS. The full schedule and a home-only version can also be added to a calendar at mavs.com/addtocal.
