When the clock struck triple zeroes on Friday night, I could only lean back on my couch and smile.
The Dallas Mavericks (4-2) had defeated the previously undefeated Houston Rockets; Cooper Flagg and Kyrie Irving combined for 68 points. It continued a three-game winning streak in which the Mavericks vanquished three playoff contenders, and their second game in a row knocking-off an undefeated team.
The game had massive swings in emotion and momentum. The atmosphere in the American-Airlines center hasn’t
reached that level since the 2024 playoffs.
The Mavericks, after a year-and-a-half of absolute misery (save for winning the lottery), are seemingly back to bringing fans joy.
This team is really, really, fun. They play fast and aggressive on both ends, often passing up a good shot to create a great one. They may not have elite personnel on either end, but the players know their roles, and they play to their strengths.
Instead of playing a static defense that relies on individual efforts from great defenders, they relentlessly swarm and scram ball-handlers into making mistakes, using their absurdly lengthy wings to disrupt opponet ryhthym.
On offense they simply attack the rim no matter what, using this constant rim pressure to set up open looks from long range. All of this starts with a 19-year-old superstar who simply doesn’t understand that 19-year-olds are supposed to be in college, not dominating the best league in the world.
But it isn’t just Cooper Flagg’s play. It’s his relentless, unyielding energy on both sides that feeds the rest of the team. He’s constantly attacking the basket with the force of a runaway mustang, using this gravity to get his teammates involved. But it isn’t just force, it’s the unexplainable floater touch that appeared out of thin-air last season.
Put simply, Flagg refuses to let this team lose, and he will be dammed if they repeat last season’s catastrophic play.
But unlike last season, he isn’t alone; a New Jersey basketball wizard has his back.
Kyrie Irving was relatively quiet until Friday night’s showcase, which is understandable given the near 19-month layoff after ACL reconstruction, but he was anything but quiet in the second half against the Rockets.
Irving scored 26 points in the final two quarters on only 13 shots. This included multiple patented Kyrie Irving transition pull-up 3-pointers that set the arena into a frenzy. His ability to feel the ebbs and flows within a game is special; knowing when to attack and when to let someone else take the reins. The Mavericks made their fourth-quarter run without Flagg on the court, and much of that is due to Irving’s mastery.
But let’s not forget the other number one overall pick on the roster. Zaccahrie Risacher exemplifies what makes this team special. He was cast aside by the Hawks. Written off by most of the basketball world, including me. Instead of letting the dire circumstances torpedo his career, he’s embraced what is necessary to succeed in the NBA.
He is ruthless on defense, constantly attacking the basketball to the tune of almost 4 combined steals and blocks per game this season. His offense is far from perfect, but there hasn’t been a Maverick wing who attacks the glass like he does in a long time.
Before the season there was only one thing that I wanted to see from the Mavericks team, watchable basketball. It’s truly hard to put into words how terrible they were to watch last season. It was a constant swirl of frustration, anger, spite and stubbornness.
Now?
Not only are the Mavericks are must-see TV, they’re also pretty damn good.
