The Dallas Mavericks snatched a 116-111 victory from the Houston Rockets Friday night, handing a previously undefeated Houston squad their first loss of the season. What’s even wilder? This is the second time in as many games Dallas has dealt an undefeated team their first L. And who’s leading this charge for the now 4-2 Mavs? Kyrie Irving and Cooper Flagg, plain and simple. Their combined performance showcased a level of fun and competitiveness that was seriously missing last season.
Irving’s Return To Dominance Is Real
Kyrie Irving, in only his fourth game back from a lengthy injury, looked utterly elite against the Rockets. He dropped a game-high 35 points, adding 4 rebounds, and a ridiculous 9 assists in 35 minutes on the court. He drained 12-of-19 shots from the field, including a scorching 5-of-8 from downtown. No one on either team came within three assists of his total, making him the clear playmaking maestro. To cap it all off, he hit two crucial free throws to ice the game. This is without a doubt his best game since returning from injury, and it was perfectly complemented by Cooper Flagg. This duo playing at such a high level is a scary proposition for the rest of the league, and the Mavs are clearly buying into Dusty May’s system.
Flagg Is Playing Beyond His Years
Cooper Flagg was just as electrifying, putting up 33 points, 9 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block in 39 minutes. Yeah, he had three turnovers and three fouls, but let’s get that out of the way, because the rest was pure fire. Flagg shot an incredible 13-of-19 from the field, despite missing all four of his three-point attempts, and hit 7-of-10 from the charity stripe. He simply could not be denied all night, especially in the closing moments. Flagg showed he is a player well beyond his years, putting Dallas up by three points after converting a free throw from an away-from-the-ball foul. That play set up Irving to hit his two free throws on the very next possession to ice the game. Even P.J. Washington, despite a bad shooting night (1-of-8 for 3 points), still found ways to contribute with a team-leading 10 rebounds, showing he stayed locked in even when his shot wasn’t falling. Max Christie, however, had a tough night, being the only starter with a negative plus/minus and hitting only 1-of-4 shots for 2 points.
This Mavericks squad, led by the incredible partnership of Irving and Flagg, is proving to be a fun, competitive bunch that’s completely bought into Dusty May’s system and is playing for each other. If these two keep playing at this level, the rest of the league has a serious problem on their hands.
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.
Leave a Reply