‘Like My Second Home’: Marcus Sasser In Line For First Regular-Season Game With Dallas Mavericks At Houston Rockets
HOUSTON — Marcus Sasser is in line for his first regular-season game with the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday, in the city where he played four college seasons. Dallas opens against the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center.
Sasser is not on the injury report for the opener after a left adductor injury kept him out of Dallas’ first three preseason games. After the Mavericks’ shootaround Wednesday morning, Sasser said every one of his college games in Houston was at Fertitta Center, the University of Houston’s campus arena. He did not play at Toyota Center until he reached the NBA.
“It’s always good memories coming back here,” Sasser said. “Was here for a good amount of time, so it’s like my second home. So it’s always fun coming back here and playing here.”
Born in Dallas, Sasser played at Red Oak High School before his four years at Houston. The Cougars reached the Final Four in 2021.
“Probably about the same as Dallas,” Sasser explained. “I got a lot of still friends and old coaches at Houston, so I’m going to have a good crowd tonight too.”
Kelvin Sampson coached him all four seasons. As a senior in 2022-23, Sasser was a consensus All-American and won the Jerry West Award.
“Hopefully I’ll see him while I’m out here,” Sasser said. “I didn’t get to see him yesterday, but hopefully I get to see him either tonight or before we leave tomorrow.”
His first game in a Mavericks uniform came at American Airlines Center on Friday. Playing in Houston brings him confidence too.
“I feel like this is just like Dallas for me,” Sasser said. “So it’s always a bit of confidence and a little more motivation when I’m out here.”
Dallas hired Mavericks coach Dusty May in June, and Wednesday is May’s first regular-season game. Sasser and his teammates spent the summer working toward it.
“Just ready to get the season started for real,” Sasser said. “I feel like we’ve been working for a lot this summer. Great group of guys, so I feel like we’re ready to get this started. It’s going to be exciting.”
Marcus Sasser Feeling Best Since Summer After Left Adductor Injury
Dallas listed Sasser with left adductor soreness for both preseason games against Houston in Macao, China. It listed him with left adductor tightness for the Oct. 14 loss to the New Orleans Pelicans. He said last week that he slipped in practice and overstretched it. Sasser made his Mavericks debut in Friday’s 135-111 loss to the Atlanta Hawks and scored 5 points.
“My body feels good, man,” Sasser said. “I feel the best it’s been since the summer. So I feel good, confident going into the season.”
May tied Sasser’s defense to his college program when he assessed the guard in Macao after the first week of training camp.
“Sass, first of all, I’ve been impressed with his cutting,” May said. “He’s been a real contributor when he wasn’t even directly involved in the play. He’s had a lot of those hidden plays that really make the team go. His shooting, his decision-making has been very sound, and defensively, he played at Houston, so we know we’re going to get his best effort.”
Energy is part of the job Sasser laid out for himself. At camp, he said he came in better shape so he could pick up 94 feet and play a fast tempo for longer stretches.
“Just being confident, being myself, just finding energy for the group, pushing the pace, changing the game defensively, so really just being myself,” Sasser said.
Last season with the Detroit Pistons, Sasser averaged 5.2 points, 1.0 rebounds, and 2.0 assists in 12.0 minutes across 38 games. He shot 41.5% from 3-point range. The pick-and-roll was part of his work this summer.
“It’s progressing, every year I feel like you just come with reps,” Sasser said. “And we’ve been working a lot on it this summer. So I’m feeling confident in it, aggressive in it. So I feel like I done got better each year.”
Sasser Sees Houston Rockets, San Antonio Spurs Stretch As Early Test
Houston won the Oct. 9 preseason opener in Macao. Two days later, Dallas won the rematch 132-115, and Sasser wants the Mavericks playing fast in transition Wednesday.
“Rebound, for sure,” Sasser said. “They’re a great offensive rebounding team. Got to play fast in transition, and it’s going to be a dogfight.”
Dallas went 1-3 in the preseason. Sasser counts a lot of athletes and long defenders on the roster.
“I just feel like knowing what we like to do, building each other chemistry on offense,” Sasser said. “I feel like we got a lot of athletes, long guys on defense, but just knowing what we like to do offensively, I feel like that’s the biggest, biggest part we learned about each other this summer.”
After Houston, the Mavericks play at the Indiana Pacers on Friday and host the San Antonio Spurs in their home opener Saturday. They visit the Miami Heat on Monday and host the Oklahoma City Thunder on Oct. 28. The Rockets come to American Airlines Center on Oct. 30, and Dallas plays at San Antonio on Nov. 4.
“I think it’s a good test for us,” Sasser said. “I feel like them are all good playoff teams, and we get to test to see where we at early in the season. So it’s a good test for us for sure.”
Dallas acquired Sasser from Detroit on July 8 in a six-team trade. The Memphis Grizzlies drafted him 25th overall in 2023, and the Pistons acquired his rights on draft night. As a rookie on April 12, 2024, he scored 24 points against Dallas at American Airlines Center.
Through three seasons, Sasser has averaged 7.0 points, 1.4 rebounds, and 2.7 assists in 166 games, and he has made 38.6% of his 3-point attempts. The deadline for rookie-scale extensions passed Monday without a deal, and he will earn $5,198,983 in the final year of his rookie contract. Dallas can make him a restricted free agent next summer by extending a qualifying offer.
Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m. CT at Toyota Center.
