The Dallas Mavericks are finding more and more reasons for optimism. The uncertainty over how far this team could go has gradually turned into optimism as the Texans have added to their list of wins, which overnight grew by one more, their third in a row, after they beat the Pacers 125-122. Above all, though, there is excitement about two men who were never conceived as a duo and yet are on course to become inseparable.
Cooper Flagg and Kyrie Irving led Dusty May’s side to victory with a combined 72 points, shouldering almost all of the team’s offensive load. And although they went about it in very different ways, both were tremendously efficient.
The sophomore posted the more spectacular numbers, with 43 points, 10 rebounds and 6 assists that continue to confirm him as a superstar in the making. In a flawless night, he gave a lesson in scoring versatility, starting out dominating with brute force and explosiveness to get to the rim, but finishing with a display of his accuracy from mid-range and long range. In fact, that is how most of his 16 points in the fourth quarter came, tipping the balance in Dallas’s favour in a fiercely contested game.
El PARTIDAZO de COOPER FLAGG con 19 AÑOS 🤯 ‼️43 PUNTOS (16-25 TC) ‼️10 REBOTES ‼️6 ASISTENCIAS ‼️3 ROBOS ¿Dónde está su techo? Nadie lo sabe. https://t.co/B6XbHuIxSf
— NBASpain (@NBAspain) November 10, 2026
Irving, for his part, shone almost entirely from the perimeter, going 7-for-10 from three, which was key to the 35 points he finished with. And although the guard did not contribute as much in other categories, his importance was amply reflected in the +29 he recorded in the 38 minutes he was on the court, a figure that reflects his weight in organising the team and moving subtly between the role of primary creator and second option as the situation requires. Because what that plus/minus means is that, in the 10 minutes he rested, his side collapsed.
Especially in the first half, Kyrie’s comings and goings made the scoreboard work like an accordion. After a good start for the hosts, his move to the bench produced a logjam that let Indiana take the lead, his return with a scoring burst gave the advantage back to the Mavs, and another rest led to another poor offensive spell in which the Pacers, led by a great Pascal Siakam, went 10 up at the end of the second quarter.
From there, May rationed Irving’s absences in the second half and Flagg became more of a leader during them, changing the dynamic and ultimately sealing a win that further establishes this as one of the NBA’s hottest partnerships. One in which, although it is very clear who the superstar and face of the franchise is, it is also very notable how much easier it makes things to have his best team-mate alongside him.
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