Dallas Mavericks vs Houston Rockets Starting Lineups Tonight (Nov. 3) | 2025-26 NBA Season 

State rivals, the Dallas Mavericks and Houston Rockets, lock horns on Monday for the first time at the Toyota Center. The Mavericks enter this game in a tough spot, with a 2-4 record and their two best players out.

Meanwhile, the Rockets have survived a 0-2 start and have won three straight games since. It's one of the most intriguing matchups this year as both teams have made unusual starting lineup choices, rolling without traditional point guards. Here's a look at their potential rotations on Monday.

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Dallas Mavericks vs. Houston Rockets Starting Lineups Tonight (Nov. 3)

Dallas Mavericks starting lineup

The Mavericks continue to experiment by playing No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg out of position. He will start at the point guard position again, with Max Christie as his backcourt partner. The frontcourt trio will likely be Klay Thompson, P.J. Washington and Daniel Gafford.

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Mavericks depth chart against the Rockets:

Houston Rockets starting lineup

The Rockets could start Josh Okogie and Amen Thompson in the backcourt, Kevin Durant at small forward, Jabari Smith Jr. at power forward and Alperen Sengun at center.

Rockets depth chart against the Mavericks:

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Dallas Mavericks vs. Houston Rockets Injury Reports

Dallas Mavericks injury report

The Mavericks are without Anthony Davis (calf), Kyrie Irving (knee), Dante Exum (knee) and Dereck Lively II (knee).

Houston Rockets injury report

The Rockets are without Dorian Finney-Smith (ankle) and Fred VanVleet (knee).

Meanwhile, Jabari Smith Jr. is questionable with a right ankle sprain.

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Dallas Mavericks vs. Houston Rockets Key Player Matchups

The Mavericks vs. Rockets contest is stacked with key player matchups to watch out for. The first one is between Cooper Flagg and Amen Thompson. Both are playing out of position, but have servicable skills at point guard. Flagg and Thompson take immense pride in their two-way play, so it will be intriguing to see who comes out on top.

The other battle is between Kevin Durant and P.J. Washington. Durant is the Rockets' go-to perimeter scorer, who will face Washington as his primary defender. The Mavericks forward must make things difficult for Durant, as that could derail Houston's offense.

Another decisive matchup would be between Alperen Sengun and Daniel Gafford. Sengun has been a force in the halfcourt, and without Anthony Davis on the opposite end, he will look to attack the rim as much as possible. Gafford will be responsible for ensuring Sengun doesn't get his way in the paint.

Edited by Arhaan Raje