The Dallas Mavericks are fun again

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.

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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.

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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.

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Kyrie Irving was relatively quiet until Friday night’s showcase, which is understandable given the near…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/dallas-mavericks-fun-again-121400832.html

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Publish date : 2026-11-01 12:14:00

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