Irving and Flagg Lead Mavericks Past Previously Unbeaten Rockets

Dallas rallied from a seven-point halftime deficit to defeat Houston 116-111 on October 30, ending the Rockets’ unbeaten start in an NBA Cup opener. The win moved the Mavericks to 4-2, while Memphis became the league’s only remaining unbeaten team at 5-0.

Irving led all scorers with 35 points, including 26 after halftime, and added nine assists. His jumper gave Dallas a 102-100 lead, and he made all six of his free throws. The guard’s run of consecutive made free throws reached 54, dating to before he missed 19 months with a torn ACL in his left knee.

Flagg had 33 points on 13-for-19 shooting, helping Dallas answer Houston’s second-quarter surge. The Rockets outscored the Mavericks 31-17 in that period, turning a seven-point Dallas lead into a seven-point advantage of their own at halftime.

Kevin Durant scored 28 points for Houston, but missed two free throws with 1:53 left and the Rockets trailing by two. Amen Thompson also missed both of his attempts late, after a Dallas turnover. Flagg scored following each pair of misses, including a three-point play. Daniel Gafford added 18 points and made two important free throws with 11 seconds remaining.

Houston shot 24-for-33 at the line. Fred VanVleet scored 16 points and Thompson had 15. The Rockets are scheduled to host Oklahoma City on October 31; Dallas is set to welcome Sacramento on November 2.