The Dallas Mavericks just absolutely torched the Brooklyn Nets, pulling off a massive 130-93 win at the American Airlines Center. This wasn’t just any win, either. It was a 37-point shellacking, the largest margin of victory for the Mavs since way back on October 22, 2022, when they smashed the Memphis Grizzlies 137-96. Talk about making a statement early in the season!
Flagg and Kyrie Lit the Fuse Early
Cooper Flagg came out of the gate on fire, scoring eight quick points in the first five minutes. You could feel the energy building. He hit a sweet finger roll in secondary transition just 4:16 into the game, pushing Dallas ahead 13-5. When Flagg finally took a breather midway through the first quarter, Kyrie Irving didn’t miss a beat. Irving immediately went to work, scoring on back-to-back possessions, including a slick finger roll of his own in traffic with 5:13 left, making it 17-11.
The Mavs kept their foot on the gas. Walter Clayton Jr., off an assist from Morez Johnson Jr., drained Dallas’ second three-pointer to extend the lead to 22-12. That forced Nets head coach Jordi Fernandez to burn a timeout, trying to stop the bleeding. It didn’t work. Irving came back with a whirling dervish drive, hitting a little teardrop to give him nine points in the quarter and a 26-13 lead for Dallas with just over three minutes to go. The Nets’ Michael Porter Jr. tried to spark a comeback with two tough, contested three-pointers, cutting the lead to six. But Flagg, who else, answered with a beautiful spinning three-point play with two minutes left in the first, pushing Dallas back up 30-21. Even with a driving dunk called off for an offensive foul, Flagg still dropped 14 points in the first, and the Mavs closed the quarter leading 33-26.
Second Quarter Avalanche and a Look Ahead
That early fire wasn’t just a flash in the pan, either. Dallas blew the doors off in the second quarter. Flagg’s brilliance continued, and the Mavericks’ lead swelled to 19 points just four minutes into the frame. Honestly, you had to wonder if Mavericks head coach Dusty May was already thinking about resting Flagg and the other key guys. Why? Because the Mavs are on the front end of a back-to-back, with a tough game against the Indiana Pacers coming up Monday.
Despite the looming schedule, Dallas kept pouring it on. Flagg found Naji Marshall all alone in the corner for his fourth assist of the first half, who then splashed a baseline three-pointer. That shot put the Mavs up by 22 points with seven minutes left before the break. All of a sudden, Dallas was on a monstrous 15-2 run, and the Nets hadn’t scored in over three minutes. The Mavs were just relentless, heading into halftime with a dominant 66-46 lead. Even a “somewhat sloppy” third quarter couldn’t slow them down much, with Dallas still outscoring Brooklyn 34-25 in the period.
This 130-93 beatdown was a serious statement win for the Mavericks, pushing their record to 6-4. It shows what this squad is capable of when they’re clicking. Next up, they’ve got to quickly regroup and bring that same energy for the Indiana Pacers on Monday. Can they carry this momentum into a back-to-back, or will the short rest catch up? It’s going to be a real test of their early season form.
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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