What happened: The Houston Rockets travel to face the Dallas Mavericks for their opening game of NBA Cup group play. The matchup is scheduled for Friday evening in Dallas.

Why it matters: The contest marks the start of tournament group play for Houston as cup action begins across the league. Both Western Conference clubs open their group schedules aiming for early positioning in the tournament standings.

What to watch: Tipoff is scheduled for Friday, Oct 30 at 8:00 PM ET in Dallas. Local broadcast coverage will air on SpaceCity Home Network.