Kyrie Irving’s long-awaited return came with the kind of defensive attention the Mavericks were bracing for, and the Rockets wasted little time turning it into a problem.
After nearly 600 days away from a regular-season game, Irving was back in the lineup Wednesday for Dallas’ 128-110 opening loss. Houston immediately shaded him with double teams, and Irving finished with 15 points, four rebounds and two assists while shooting 6-of-9 from the field. He also had four turnovers as the Rockets forced the Mavericks into tough choices and made the rest of the roster prove it could carry the offense.
The scoring touch was there. The rhythm around him wasn’t.
Dallas started well enough, but the offense stalled badly after that. Houston seized control in the second quarter, outscoring the Mavericks 38-12 and stretching the game into a 32-point halftime advantage. That left Dallas chasing possessions the rest of the night.
One answer came from Cooper Flagg, who delivered 32 points on 10-of-17 shooting. The Mavericks leaned more on Flagg and Naji Marshall as Houston kept pressure on Irving, and that shape may define the early part of Irving’s ramp-up. Finding ways to relieve that pressure is an early job for coach Dusty May.
It was Irving’s first regular-season game since tearing his ACL on March 3, 2025. He had appeared in two preseason games, but the Rockets treated Wednesday like a different level entirely.
Dallas now moves on to the Pacers on Friday and the Spurs on Saturday, and Veazey expects Irving may only play in one game of that back-to-back as his return is managed carefully.
In Atlanta, Nickeil Alexander-Walker opened his next chapter with force.
Coming off a Most Improved Player season, he scored 31 points in the Hawks’ win over the Magic, finishing with 11 in the fourth quarter and drilling 5 of 8 from deep. Two of those threes came at key moments late. Jackson Caudell reported that Alexander-Walker gave credit to his teammates for helping him settle in after early foul trouble, instead of framing the night as a statement to anyone outside the locker room.
“I think the main thing is just for me to continue to be myself,” he said. “I’m making my own identity.”
He added, “I stopped worrying about the narrative that I can create because there’s always somebody that’s going to hate. There’s always somebody that’s going to cheer you up.”
Orlando still had its own bright spots, even in a loss that was defined by giveaways and defense that never held. Paolo Banchero put together a massive opener, producing at least 35 points and 10 assists while shooting at least 80% from the field, making him the first player to hit those marks in a season opener.
But the Magic also gave away 20 turnovers and allowed 132 points. Ryan Kaminski pointed to better spacing and a stronger focus on creating shots for Orlando’s best shooters as early positives under new coach Sean Sweeney, and Desmond Bane and Tristan da Silva each took 10 threes. Still, the Magic made only about a third of their 40 attempts from deep, leaving the task clear: keep the new offensive ideas, but tighten up the possession game and the defense.
In Other News...
Paolo Looked Ready But The Magics Opener Raised A Bigger Concern
Paolo Banchero looked every bit like the centerpiece Orlando wants him to be in the season opener, carrying the offense in a 132-125 loss to the Hawks. He poured in 35 points and helped steady a team that needed scoring from its star from the opening night, but even that kind of production was not enough to cover for a game that got away from the Magic late.
Sean Sweeneys first regular-season game as Orlandos head coach also brought some early rotation curiosity, with Jase Richardson getting a turn in the mix. The rookies minutes were limited, but the decision to get him on the floor was notable in a tight opener, especially on a night when the Magic were searching for the right combinations around Banchero and trying to make sense of the parts that still need to settle. [Read more 🡒]
Mavericks Already Face An Early Injury Problem They Cant Ignore
The early-season injury list keeps growing across the league, and Orlando has its own reasons to keep a close eye on it. Anthony Black is set to miss Fridays game against Minnesota after sitting out the home opener and the entire preseason with a right ankle sprain, another reminder of how quickly availability can become the first real storyline for a young roster trying to settle in.
Jonathan Isaac is still out as well, with left knee injury management keeping him sidelined for the moment. For a team that leans heavily on defense and lineup continuity, the Magic are already navigating the kind of personnel uncertainty that can shape rotation decisions before the calendar even gets rolling. [Read more 🡒]
Magic Must Clean Up One Costly Problem Before Timberwolves Test
The free-throw issues from Orlandos season-opening loss to Atlanta did not just show up in the box score, they carried straight into practice. Sean Sweeney and the Magic spent time addressing the things that can tilt a game early in the year, from missed free throws to defense and turnovers, while the group turned its attention to a Minnesota Timberwolves matchup that already looks like an important measuring stick.
Fridays test comes with some lineup uncertainty, too, as the Magic continue to sort through injuries while trying to tighten the details. For a team that expects to lean on physical defense and cleaner execution, the challenge is not only playing the Timberwolves, but doing it while closing the gap on the little mistakes that can add up fast. [Read more 🡒]