The Cavaliers’ trip home from Miami turned into a mess, and now they’re trying to turn around and play a home game against the Mavericks with barely any breathing room.
After the NBA’s nationwide ground stop on Friday, Cleveland couldn’t get back from its 133-121 loss to the Heat on its normal schedule. The team was reportedly set to start flying back at 9 a.m.
Saturday and land at noon, leaving only a few hours to reset before tipoff. Some players wanted the game cancelled, but that does not appear to be the plan.
So the Cavs are stuck shifting straight from travel chaos to a matchup that looks about as even as it gets.
Dallas comes in at 7-5 and above .500, while Cleveland is trying to keep pace in a game where the numbers around the two teams are remarkably close. Still, the Mavericks have a couple of clear edges, starting with the way they attack the glass. Offensive rebounding is one area where Dallas should be able to press an advantage, even if the broader season numbers make the matchup look tighter than that.
The biggest reason the Mavericks have stayed on track is Cooper Flagg. The rookie has been rolling, averaging just under 25 points per game while shooting 50% from the field. He’s playing like an All-NBA talent and MVP candidate, and there’s no sign of a sophomore slump after his rookie season.
Kyrie Irving is back in the mix too, and he’s looked like he never left. After a season-long injury, Irving is averaging 21 points per game and shooting nearly 50/40/90, a statistical line that very few players ever reach.
Together, Flagg and Irving have given Dallas a dangerous one-two punch after the team traded Luka Doncic. The Mavericks have leaned hard into the Flagg era, and so far it’s paying off.
Cleveland will also be marking its 2016 NBA Championship celebration tonight, and Irving’s return gives that part of the night some extra weight. His impact on the franchise is set to be recognized in the program.
On the court, this shapes up as a tight one. The Cavaliers will need Peyton Watson and Jaylon Tyson to make life difficult for Flagg if they want to pull it out. Dallas was blown out 133-94 when Flagg and Irving combined for just 22 points on 9-for-23 shooting, and Cleveland will be hoping for a similar outcome.
Prediction: Cavaliers 119, Mavericks 115.
In Other News...
Mavericks Suddenly Face A Max Christie Concern They Cant Ignore
Max Christie has been one of the more dependable rotation pieces for Dallas early this season, showing up in 11 of 12 games and giving the Mavericks a steady presence on the wing. His modest scoring numbers have still come with useful all-around production, including 5.3 points, 2.9 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game, which is the kind of secondary contribution this roster leans on when the offense gets stretched thin.
Now the Mavericks have to monitor his status closely heading into the Cleveland Cavaliers matchup, with Christie dealing with an ankle issue that could put him on the injury report at the wrong time. If he cannot go, it would only be the second game he has missed this season, a small sample that still underscores how quickly a nagging injury can complicate a teams plans when a role player has quietly become part of the nightly structure. [Read more 🡒]
Mavericks Have A Roster Problem They Cant Keep Ignoring
The loss to Minnesota was another reminder that Dallas can survive a quiet night from one star only if the rest of the offense picks up the slack. Instead, Cooper Flagg and Kyrie Irving were both limited, and the Mavericks again leaned on a supporting cast that has flashed scoring punch in bursts but not with any real consistency. At 7-5, the record is still respectable, but the pattern is becoming hard to ignore for a team trying to build something sturdier around its top two names.
Several role players have had their moments with 20-point outbursts, yet none has settled into the dependable third option Dallas needs from night to night. That is what makes the conversation around the roster feel so pointed now, because this is less about one bad game and more about whether the Mavericks have enough reliable offense when the stars are contained. If that answer keeps coming back no, the front office may have to start looking outside the room for a fix. [Read more 🡒]
Mavericks Face A Dangerous Trade Temptation In Search Of Scoring
The Mavericks keep running into the same problem: finding a reliable third scorer to ease the burden on Cooper Flagg and Kyrie Irving. That search naturally sends attention toward the trade market, and Dejounte Murray has emerged as a name worth watching after his situation in New Orleans changed. On paper, he brings the kind of shot creation Dallas could use, especially if the front office is looking for another perimeter creator to stabilize the offense.
But Murray is also the kind of swing that can backfire if the fit is wrong. His contract is hefty, his injury history adds risk, and his shooting limitations raise real questions about how cleanly he would mesh with the Mavericks' roster and timeline. For a team trying to solve a scoring issue without creating a new roster problem, that makes him a tempting target on the surface and a complicated one underneath. [Read more 🡒]