As much as the Rockets might have wanted to have their rotation settled and roles defined by the final days of the preseason, they likely also would have liked to have kept scoring with the spectacular ease of Wednesday's opening minutes.
Things rarely go entirely as teams would like.
The Rockets did not quite reach either of those goals. But after misfiring for a stretch to make the game close, the Rockets recovered on Wednesday to blow the game open in the fourth quarter and rout the Mavericks, 106-91. And after a rocky first half, the second unit – potentially playing for playing time – turned things around with a strong showing in their second stint on the floor.