Kyrie Irving made his long-awaited return to the court on Sunday, dropping 17 points in just 21 minutes for the Dallas Mavericks. This wasn’t just any game, this was his first game back after a grueling 587-day absence recovering from a knee injury. The Mavs ultimately took down the Houston Rockets 132-115 in that particular NBA China series preseason game, splitting the series overall in Macao.
Kyrie’s Back And The Mavericks Are Rolling
Talk about a comeback story! After more than a year and a half sidelined, seeing Kyrie Irving out there again was huge. He didn’t just play, he put up 17 points in limited minutes. That’s a serious statement game for a guy coming off such a long injury layoff. It felt like he barely missed a beat. Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg was also active, putting up 14 points and 7 assists, even getting his pocket picked by Rockets guard Reed Sheppard in one sequence. Risacher added 16 points and Christie pitched in 14 for the Mavs in a balanced offensive effort that saw them shoot 48.2% from the field and 37.5% from deep. Their defense was no joke either, logging 10 blocked shots and 12 steals, really making Houston work for every bucket.
Smart Shines But Houston’s Still Got Work To Do
On the Rockets’ side, it wasn’t all bad news. Marcus Smart, signed as a free agent from the Lakers, made his Houston debut and looked sharp. The dude dropped 20 points on 7-of-13 shooting, including a solid 4-of-9 from beyond the arc. That’s the kind of instant impact you want from a new veteran presence, right? Reed Sheppard, who snagged that ball from Flagg, also had a strong showing with 17 points. Amen Thompson and Jabari Smith Jr. each chipped in 14 points, showing off some of that young talent Houston is building around. However, the team’s overall shooting lagged a bit, hitting just 41.1% from the field and a tougher 29.8% from three-point range. And 21 turnovers is a number that’s gotta come down, especially when guys like Kevin Durant, Fred VanVleet, and Alperen Şengün weren’t even playing in this game. Imagine the offensive firepower that was missing!
The Rockets wrap up their preseason schedule against Oklahoma City on Thursday at Toyota Center. It’s their final chance to fine-tune things before the real games start, and you gotta believe they’ll be looking to clean up those turnovers and build some momentum. For the Mavericks, getting Kyrie back and seeing him perform like this is a massive boost heading into the regular season. This preseason split showed us some serious flashes of what’s to come, both good and bad, for these two squads.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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