Kyrie Irving’s latest message was less about the box score than the process behind it, and for the Mavericks, that’s the encouraging part.
After Dallas’ 4-2 start got another boost in a win over the Houston Rockets, Irving said he’s starting to feel more like himself as he works back from the torn ACL that sidelined him last season. The veteran guard scored a season-high 35 points in 35 minutes, while Cooper Flagg added 33, giving Dallas a 68-point one-two punch that helped fuel the victory.
“It’s just a great feeling when you know the work translates into games,” said Irving, who poured in a season-high 35 points against Houston in 35 minutes of action.
That performance came with a deeper layer attached. Irving said the first stretch of the season has felt better physically, but he still sees room to keep unlocking parts of his game that have been muted by recovery, rhythm and the mental grind that comes with coming back from a major injury.
“It was the first four games, five games, I really felt like my body has been in a good place. But there’s more that I can get out of my instincts.
There’s more that I can unlock in my game. There’s more of an attack mindset I can keep going to.
There’ll be times I’m out on the perimeter, I’m not really cutting or I’m not really active, and I just don’t wanna be stagnant on those possessions.”
Irving has repeatedly talked about how much he’s looking forward to sharing the floor with Flagg, and that pairing was on full display against Houston. Still, even with a new offensive partner helping shoulder the load, Irving said the next step is about getting to the point where the injury doesn’t occupy his mind while he’s playing.
“I really wanna be able to push myself. And that just comes with reps and comes with rhythm and also making the choice to get out and run despite just maybe some of the mental fatigue or physical fatigue,” he said.
“And just not thinking about, like, hey, how do I feel right now? It should just be about playing tonight and just playing the possessions out, and that’s probably the first game of the last four where I felt like I was just playing out the basketball game to my possessions IQ without thinking about, all right, how does my leg feel or how do I feel physically.”
The second half against Houston was the clearest sign of that shift. Dallas was down seven at the break, then Irving took over with 26 points after halftime to swing the game.
He’s still being managed carefully. Irving has gone over 30 minutes only twice in four games, and he has not played in a back-to-back yet for a team that will have plenty of them this season.
“I feel great, I feel great. It’s great to build up to this moment. I think thinking about how we were talking about the minutes restriction, the first game versus Houston, and how it’s kind of controlling my internal frustration,” Irving said about what has motivated him.
“But I trust our coaching staff, I trust our medical staff in being able to develop a great dialogue and getting to this point, and just take patience, and I’m gonna enjoy it, but also give myself a lot of grace as I’m continuing to get better throughout the season.”
In Other News...
Cooper Flagg Is Already Changing What Dallas Can Dream About
Cooper Flagg has already given Dallas a different kind of optimism to talk about, the sort that goes beyond a hot start or a few eye-catching highlights. Through the opening stretch of the season, he has looked like a player who can tilt games in multiple ways, piling up points, handling the ball and helping on the glass while also showing up well in the advanced numbers that tend to separate real impact from empty production.
For the Mavericks, the bigger question is no longer whether Flagg belongs in the conversation around the leagues rising stars, but how high that conversation can go if this keeps up. It is still early, and plenty can change over the course of a season, but the early returns have already pushed Dallas into a more ambitious place than many expected when the year began. [Read more 🡒]
Kyrie Irving's Hot Start Just Raised Dallas' Biggest Deadline Dilemma
Kyrie Irvings strong start has only sharpened the conversation around what the Mavericks do next. He has said he is committed to Dallas despite the trade chatter, and for now he remains one of the key pieces in the teams backcourt, giving the offense a level of shot-making and late-clock security that is hard to replace. But with his long-term future still unclear, every bit of production only seems to add to the sense that Dallas is sitting on a complicated decision rather than a simple one.
Around the league, Irving is viewed as the kind of player who could draw serious interest if the Mavericks decide to listen before the deadline. The appeal is obvious: a proven scorer, a high-end creator and a name that would instantly change a contenders outlook. For Dallas, the real question is whether the value of keeping him for a playoff push outweighs the possibility of getting a major return if the right offer comes along. [Read more 🡒]
Kyrie Irving Trade Chatter Puts New Focus On His Fit With Flagg
The Mavericks are trying to keep the conversation centered on basketball, even as Kyrie Irvings place alongside Cooper Flagg keeps drawing outside attention because of the age gap between the two. For Dallas, the real question is less about noise and more about how the pairing works day to day, with both players publicly stressing that they are concentrating on development and building chemistry rather than letting the chatter take over.
Irving and Flagg have both tried to steer the focus back to the basics of playing together, which is the part Dallas can actually control. Still, the trade speculation has not gone away, and it has only sharpened the sense that this situation could turn quickly if the veteran guard ever decides he wants a different path. [Read more 🡒]