The Mavericks beat the Rockets 116-111 in the Emirates NBA Cup after trailing by 11, which handed Houston its first loss and stretched the Dallas win streak to three. Kyrie Irving scored 35, Cooper Flagg added 33, and Daniel Gafford's 6-of-7 night came with a team-best plus-10.
Where the Fourth Flipped It
Dallas led 27-20 after one, then lost the second quarter 31-17. An 8-0 Houston run late in the half turned a 38-36 Dallas edge into a 44-38 deficit and forced a Dusty May timeout. The Rockets still led 84-76 going into the fourth. Neither side ever pulled away: there were nine lead changes and 10 ties, and the Mavericks never led by more than seven. Then Dallas scored 40 in the fourth. Irving had 16 of them, Flagg 11 and Gafford 8. In the closing minutes Flagg played with Caleb Martin, Gafford, P.J. Washington and Zaccharie Risacher, and Irving was back on the court for the final horn. At 111-113 with three seconds left, Amen Thompson missed his second free throw on a lane violation. A foul away from the ball then sent Flagg to the line, and Irving made two more after Fred VanVleet fouled him.
Grades for the Core
Irving gets an A. He scored 35 on 12-of-19 shooting, hit 5 of 8 threes and all 6 of his free throws, and added nine assists in 35 minutes. Mavs.com relayed Ime Udoka calling him the best offensive player he has seen one-on-one. Flagg gets an A-minus for 33 points on 13-of-19, nine rebounds, six assists and two steals in 39 minutes. His only blemish was 0-of-4 from deep. Gafford gets a B-plus: 18 points on 6-of-7, seven rebounds and two blocks, with 6-of-9 free throws and three turnovers keeping him out of A territory. Washington gets a C-minus. He shot 1-of-8 for three points, and his 10 rebounds over 34 minutes saved the grade. Max Christie had the worst margin of the night, minus-3 in 18 minutes.
Bench, Rest, Then Sacramento
The starters scored 91 of the 116, but the reserves still made a difference. Risacher had 12 points, six rebounds and three steals and hit 3 of 6 threes. Martin went plus-7 in 25 minutes without a turnover. Walter Clayton Jr. was plus-5 in nine minutes despite three giveaways. Dallas is now 4-2, sixth in the West and two games clear of 11th, on a 55-27 pace, and the season series with Houston is even at two wins each. The calendar helps Dallas. The Mavericks get three days off before the Kings visit on Nov. 2, while Houston plays again tomorrow. Lively, Aldama and Biberovic are all listed out with Nov. 2 as their projected return. De Larrea's target is Nov. 4, the night Dallas visits the Spurs.
Who led the Mavericks in scoring against the Rockets?
Kyrie Irving led Dallas with 35 points on 12-of-19 shooting, and Cooper Flagg added 33 on 13-of-19.
When do the Mavericks play next?
Dallas hosts the Kings on Nov. 2, then visits the Spurs on Nov. 4.
