The Mavericks’ latest win came with a price tag attached.
Dallas rolled to a 121-105 road victory over the Pacers on Friday, but Cooper Flagg exited after landing hard on his left shoulder following a foul from Aaron Nesmith near halftime. Flagg took his free throws before heading to the locker room and was later ruled out, according to Austin Veazey of Sports Illustrated.
The foul set off a flare-up between Nesmith and Naji Marshall, with each player hit with a technical.
Even with Flagg gone, Dallas still had enough to close it out. The Mavericks built a 34-point halftime lead, a sharp rebound after opening their season by trailing the Rockets by 32 at the break. Kyrie Irving later fouled out, so the finish took some doing, but Marshall and Max Christie helped keep Indiana from cutting the margin to less than 13.
The result gave Dusty May his first NBA head coaching victory. Dallas now turns quickly to Saturday’s home game against the Spurs, with Flagg’s status the biggest question hanging over the night.
Golden State had its own collapse waiting at the finish line.
The Warriors held a 12-point lead with under four minutes left in their home opener, then watched the Grizzlies rip off a 17-2 closing burst in a 111-108 loss, per Joey Akeley of Sports Illustrated. Golden State missed its final nine shot attempts, and a Brandin Podziemski turnover plus a late Draymond Green illegal screen only made the ending messier.
Stephen Curry finished with 24 points, but he didn’t score after returning with 5:18 remaining. Former Warriors guard Ty Jerome paced Memphis with 28 points, and Cameron Boozer added 25 points, 13 rebounds, six assists and the go-ahead basket.
There’s not much breathing room on the schedule either. Golden State heads to Phoenix, Denver and Minnesota before coming home to face the Lakers. Curry said he “probably” won’t play Saturday against the Suns.
In Charlotte, the boos came early and they came often.
The Hornets dropped their home opener to the Hawks, 128-81, shooting just 34 percent and turning the ball over 27 times. Charles Lee didn’t push back on the crowd’s frustration.
“If you hear boos, you got to be able to play better basketball,” Lee said, via Ashley Stroehlein of Sports Illustrated.
Lee said Atlanta’s physical defense caused problems, while Charlotte also made too many indecisive and casual plays. He wasn’t interested in leaning on lineup issues as an excuse.
“We can’t make excuses for who was on the floor, who was off the floor,” he said. “I think that is just on us as a group to take a little bit more pride in every possession, value the ball.”
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There is still room for the picture to change as Charlotte gets more help around him, with Coby White and Kon Knueppel among the players who could ease some of that pressure. But the opener served as an early reminder that Millers comfort level can look very different depending on who is setting the table, and the Hornets may spend the coming weeks finding out how much of his game travels without Ball beside him. [Read more 🡒]
Grant Williams Is Already Feeling The Buzz Around Charlotte's Opener
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The opener will also bring a familiar soundtrack to the evening, with Petey Pablo set to perform North Carolina's unofficial anthem at halftime. For Williams, the occasion carries a personal layer beyond the game itself, with his connection to playing in his hometown and his reflections on fatherhood giving the night a meaning that goes beyond one regular-season date on the calendar. [Read more 🡒]
Hornets Already Face One Early Problem They Cant Keep Ignoring
The Hornets home opener turned into an early reminder of how thin the margin can be when a young roster is still trying to sort itself out. Charlotte fell behind quickly against Atlanta at Spectrum Center and never found much traction offensively, with turnovers and empty possessions piling up as the game slipped away. Head coach Charles Lee pointed to the ongoing adjustment to the teams offensive systems, a process that can take time but also has to show progress sooner rather than later.
Brandon Millers rough shooting night only added to the frustration, especially after the organization committed to him on a multi-year contract. There was at least one small developmental note to take from the loss, though, as Charlottes 2026 first-round draft pick made his NBA debut and contributed on both ends. For a team trying to balance patience with urgency, nights like this tend to sharpen the focus on what still needs fixing. [Read more 🡒]