Cooper Flagg and Kyrie Irving had practiced together since camp opened in late September. Sunday in Macao was the first time they shared an NBA floor.
The Mavericks beat the Houston Rockets 132-115 in the second China Games game, NBA.com reported. Irving scored 17 points in 22 minutes in his return from a left ACL tear. Flagg added 14 points and seven assists, including two plays that previewed how Dallas wants the pair to work.
Early in the second quarter, Flagg threw a full-court pass to Irving for a transition layup, ESPN's Tim MacMahon reported. Early in the third, Flagg chased down Amen Thompson for a block that sparked a break Irving finished with a pull-up 3-pointer. Those were the highlights Max Christie later described as fun to watch after calling Irving's overall night phenomenal.
Why the pairing is the season's first test
Flagg, the No. 1 pick in 2025 and last season's Rookie of the Year, had scored 19 points in 19 first-half minutes Friday before sitting the entire second half in a 135-117 loss. Sunday was the first live look at him with Irving's gravity on the floor after Dusty May deliberately split their debuts across the two Macao games.
Irving is 34 and coming off a full missed season. Flagg is still building the offense May wants around him. May has framed Irving as an efficient creator whose attention opens space for teammates. Sunday's outlet pass and block-to-three sequence were the first public evidence of that idea with Flagg involved in real time rather than in practice.
NBA.com also noted No. 25 pick Sergio de Larrea finished with nine points, seven rebounds, four assists and a game-high plus-34 in the win - a secondary development while the stars carried the narrative. Marcus Smart led Houston with 20 points in his first appearance with the Rockets, per NBA.com's Starting 5 roundup.
May's choice to rest Irving on Friday and debut him Sunday created a staggered introduction: Flagg carried the first Macao night alone, then both shared the second. That sequencing is itself part of the evaluation - how Flagg creates without Irving, then how the floor changes when Irving's gravity returns.
