Opening Night presented by Toyota, with all fans receiving a Rockets Ketchup and Mustard Rally Towel.
The Houston Rockets open their 2026-27 season at the Toyota Center on Wednesday, October 21, taking on the Dallas Mavericks. It's the first home game of the year, billed as Opening Night presented by Toyota, and the team is giving away a Rockets Ketchup and Mustard Rally Towel to every fan in the building.
There's a practical change to keep in mind before you head downtown: the tipoff marks a shift in the Rockets' home-game scheduling. For more than a decade, 7:00 PM has been the standard start time, but 7:30 PM is the new norm going forward. This game is the first to follow that shift, so if you're used to the old timing, you'll have a little more breathing room before the action starts.
On the court, the season is expected to be built around the returns of Fred VanVleet and Kyrie Irving. This matchup against Dallas is just the start of a schedule with several other games to keep an eye on. There's an early matchup against the Spurs, a showdown with a retooled Timberwolves team that brought in LaMelo Ball, and a rivalry game against the Warriors, where Tari Eason has clashed with Draymond Green. Later in the season, the Rockets face the Suns, which will be Jalen Green's first home game since being traded to Phoenix.
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For this one, the game tips off at 7:00 PM, with doors opening at 6:00 PM. If you're going for the rally towel, getting there early is your best bet.
