Kyrie Irving and Cooper Flagg combined for 68 points, and the Dallas Mavericks erased an 11-point second-half deficit to beat the visiting Houston Rockets 116-111 in an NBA Cup opener for both on Friday.
Irving posted 35 points on 12-for-19 shooting and nine assists. Flagg scored 33 points on 13-for-19 shooting and grabbed nine rebounds. The tandem totaled 27 points in the fourth quarter, with Irving drilling two 3-pointers early before Flagg sank a floater and converted the three-point play with 1:40 left to play, giving the Mavericks a 105-100 lead.
Flagg sank a turnaround jumper with 24.3 seconds left after Amen Thompson missed two free throws that would have tied the game with 42 seconds to play. Jabari Smith Jr. pulled the Rockets to within 109-108 with a 3-pointer, but Daniel Gafford answered with two free throws.
Gafford scored 18 points and blocked two shots. Zaccharie Risacher added 12 points off the bench for the Mavericks, who shot 51.9% and went 9-for-10 from the line in the fourth.
Kevin Durant led Houston with 28 points. Smith added 22 points. Fred VanVleet and Thompson combined for 31 points and 12 assists, while Tari Eason notched a double-double with 11 points and 13 rebounds. The Rockets, who were without Alperen Sengun (back) and Reed Sheppard (back), missed six free throws in the fourth and suffered their first loss.
Flagg scored 10 of his 12 first-quarter points in succession for the Mavericks before Irving tied it at 16-16 with a floater. Risacher later capped an 11-2 run with a dunk, and the Mavericks led 27-20 entering the second period.
But a Thompson dunk gave Houston a 36-35 lead early in the second quarter before an 8-0 run, highlighted by Smith’s jumper, 3-pointer and transition dunk, extended the advantage.
Irving snapped the run with a 3-pointer, but Smith followed with three free throws before Thompson and Eason added dunks as the Rockets claimed a 51-44 halftime lead.
