The Dallas Mavericks (1-1) picked up their first win of the season on Friday night, surviving a sloppy second half to beat the Indiana Pacers (1-1) 121-105. Kyrie Irving led Dallas with 24 points on 8-of-15 shooting and 5-of-10 from three before fouling out late, while also passing Mavericks legend Mark Aguirre on the franchise’s all-time scoring list. P.J. Washington added 20 points, 13 rebounds and three blocks; Max Christie scored 16, and Cooper Flagg had 14 points, five rebounds, six assists and three steals before leaving with an injury late in the first half.
Dallas came out flying. The Mavericks scored 44 points in the first quarter, moved the ball, dominated the glass and hit 8-of-13 from three. Flagg was at the center of everything, scoring 12 points on a perfect 4-of-4 shooting while adding four assists, and Kyrie looked much more comfortable than he did Wednesday in Houston.
Zaccharie Risacher and the Dallas defense dominated the second quarter. Risacher was everywhere, defending, rebounding, running the floor, and keeping the ball moving offensively while Indiana repeatedly turned it over and struggled to create anything clean. The Pacers made only one basket through roughly the first five minutes of the quarter, and Dallas carried a 77-43 lead into halftime.
Things got much shakier after halftime. The offense stalled in the third, and Kyrie kept the Mavericks afloat with difficult shot-making while Indiana slowly worked its way back into the game. Dallas still led by 22 entering the fourth, but the final period nearly turned into a collapse. Kyrie’s foul trouble opened the door, and when he returned late, he turned the ball over and fouled out almost immediately. Indiana kept coming, but missed both free throws on Kyrie’s sixth foul, and Dallas finally responded. Naji Marshall and Christie hit huge shots, the defense tightened, and the Mavericks did enough to close it out.
Flagg’s injury changes everything
The biggest concern coming out of the win was Flagg’s health. He was injured with about a minute remaining in the first half after taking a hard flagrant foul from Aaron Nesmith and never returned. He was officially ruled out late in the third quarter after finishing with 14 points, five rebounds, six assists, three steals and a block in just 17 minutes.
He had been excellent before the injury, pushing the pace, creating for teammates, and making defensive plays. With Dallas playing its home opener against San Antonio tomorrow, it would be surprising to see him back that quickly. Even if the injury is minor, there is little reason to rush him back this early.
The timing still hurts. Dallas has a difficult stretch to close October, and through two games Flagg already looks like one of the players this team can least afford to lose.
Mavericks head coach Dusty May said in his postgame press conference that Flagg “will be evaluated the next couple of days.” That particular quote does not portend well for Flagg’s availability in the second half of the first back-to-back set of the season on Saturday in the Mavs’ home opener against the San Antonio Spurs.
Irving looked like Irving again
Irving looked far more like himself than he did in Houston.
He finished with 24 points, three assists, and five made threes on 8-of-15 shooting. The foul trouble eventually became a major problem, but the actual performance was encouraging. He looked comfortable creating his own shot, got to his spots, and hit difficult jumpers when Dallas desperately needed offense.
That mattered most in the third quarter. The Mavericks couldn’t make much of anything, Indiana started chipping away at the lead, and Kyrie repeatedly stopped the bleeding with tough buckets. Dallas didn’t need him to take over; it just needed someone to keep the offense from dying, and he did.
He also passed Mark Aguirre on the Mavericks’ all-time scoring list, adding another milestone to his time in Dallas.
P.J. Washington looked like his old self
This was the P.J. Washington Dallas needs.
Washington finished with 20 points, 13 rebounds and three blocks while shooting 6-of-11 from the floor and 2-of-4 from three. More importantly, he played with the physicality and confidence that made him so valuable during his best stretches in Dallas.
His rebounding was especially important as Indiana pushed in the second half. Washington consistently finished possessions, created extra chances on the offensive glass, and made important defensive plays around the rim. He also provided timely offense when Dallas started to stall.
The Mavericks do not need Washington to score 20 every night, but they do need this version of him. When he defends, rebounds, and confidently takes open shots, he gives Dallas exactly what it needs from that spot.
Daniel Gafford’s 14 minutes are worth watching
Of the Mavericks who played real minutes, starting center Daniel Gafford finished with a team-low 14:36 and didn’t play in the closing stretch.
Gafford finished with four points, three rebounds, five assists, and two blocks on 2-of-4 shooting. Those numbers aren’t bad, and he made a few useful plays as a passer and rim protector, but his limited minutes stand out.
Dallas leaned more heavily on smaller lineups and gave Morez Johnson Jr. minutes at center, especially as the game became more perimeter-oriented. Gafford also looked a little out of rhythm, missed a few finishes, and never really established himself as a major part of the offense.
One game isn’t enough to draw major conclusions, but a starting center playing fewer than 15 minutes and sitting during the game’s most important stretch is notable. It’s worth watching as Dusty May continues figuring out his rotation.
