Basketball fans gathered in Macao on Friday as the NBA China Games returned for a second year in the city, with Houston Rockets forward Kevin Durant drawing some of the biggest crowds ahead of the preseason clash against the Dallas Mavericks.

Supporters queued to take photos with NBA-themed installations, team displays and the Larry O'Brien Trophy at NBA House Macao before making their way to the Venetian Arena for the first of two preseason games between Houston and Dallas.

"I came all the way from Harbin in Heilongjiang province, so this is a really rare opportunity for me," said 24-year-old Durant fan Cao Peng. "To be here and see Durant in person is incredible."

The Rockets beat the Mavericks 135-117 in Friday's opener, with Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg scoring 19 points in 19 minutes on 7-of-14 shooting while playing only the first half.

"Chinese fans have always given tremendous support to the NBA," Cao said. "I hope more teams will come here in the future."

Durant said he appreciated the enthusiasm shown by fans in Macao.

"When you come out here and you get the appreciation and respect that you've earned as players that made it this far, it's pretty cool," Durant told reporters after the game.

The former MVP said Houston's focus remained on building towards championship contention, but cautioned against reading too much into preseason results.

The Mavericks and Rockets meet again on Sunday in the second and final preseason game of the NBA China Games in Macao.


Edited by Robert Kemp