The Dallas Mavericks served up a 116-111 shocker against the Houston Rockets in an NBA Cup Group A game on Friday, with Kyrie Irving pouring in 35 points and Cooper Flagg adding an electrifying 33. This wasn’t just another game, it was a total flip of the script from their season-opening loss to the Rockets a week and a half ago.
Mavericks Pass the “Big-Boy Test”
Dallas (4-2) squared off against a red-hot Houston squad (5-1) that had beaten them 128-110 in their earlier matchup. In that first game, it was Kevin Durant and Jabari Smith Jr. who each dropped 30-plus points. This time around, Irving and Flagg made sure to return the favor, coming up huge in what the Mavericks definitely saw as a “big-boy test.” The final buzzer went off, and the energy was absolutely electric. Dallas needed this kind of statement win, especially after that earlier loss to the Rockets, and they delivered.
Flagg’s Early Spark and Mavs’ Offensive Blaze
Cooper Flagg, who came into this game averaging better than 25 points through his first four, showed from the jump he knew 25 wasn’t going to be enough against this Houston team. Three minutes into the game, Flagg drove right through traffic for a bucket to cut the Rockets’ lead to 7-6. Less than a minute later, his turnaround jumper over Clint Capela gave Dallas an 8-7 lead. He then snagged a steal and pulled up for a deep two, putting the Mavs back in front 10-9. Flagg’s fourth bucket of the first quarter made it 12-11 with 7:26 left, and he even hit a fading jumper over Kevin Durant to tie the game at 14-14 a minute after that. The early pace was breakneck on both sides, but Flagg was a huge reason the Mavs kept up.
Houston entered the game scorching hot, with a 5-0 start that marked their best since 2014. They were scoring an incredible 123 points per game (2nd in NBA), shooting better than 51% overall (2nd), and a blistering 40% from 3-point range (1st). But Dallas clamped down, ending the first quarter with a healthy 27-20 lead thanks to a well-timed back cut for an easy bucket by Kyrie Irving and a fast bucket by Zaccharie Risacher after Flagg’s first steal. The Mavericks were on fire offensively, shooting 12-of-14 on two-point attempts in the first quarter and 61.9% overall for the frame. The only real hiccup for Dallas was failing to finish defensive possessions after one missed shot, which Houston capitalized on for an early 7-0 advantage in second-chance points. Even with a couple of turnovers and an extra possession granted after a missed free throw early in the second quarter, Dallas maintained a five-point lead, 35-30, through Flagg’s rest minutes. This Mavericks team truly rose to the occasion.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Mavs Moneyball.
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