Scheduled
Cleveland Cavaliers at Atlanta Hawks
2026-27 · Regular season
Cooper Flagg hands the Thunder their first loss with 26 points and 8 assists in Kyrie Irving’s home return: ‘Just his gravity’
Flagg had 26 points, eight assists and no turnovers as Dallas beat Oklahoma City 120-96 in Kyrie Irving's first home game in 604 days. Flagg talked about playing off Irving's gravity, and Irving said Flagg already 'has a special talent.'
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Cooper Flagg had 26 points, eight assists and no turnovers on Wednesday night, and the Dallas Mavericks handed the Oklahoma City Thunder their first loss of the season, 120-96, in Kyrie Irving‘s first home game in 604 days.
Flagg said the Mavericks knew what was coming. “I think just coming out, just in the game plan, we knew what they were going to do,” he said. “My teammates put me in a good spot, my coach put me in a good spot. I was able to capitalize on it early.”
Flagg after the win, posted by Abby Jones on X.
Dallas won all four quarters and led by 27 in the fourth. The Thunder, who came in 4-0, shot 5-of-32 from three. The Mavericks are 3-2 and above .500 for the first time since Flagg arrived last year, and it was the first home win for first-year coach Dusty May.
‘Just his gravity’
Irving had not played a regular-season game at American Airlines Center since he tore his left ACL on March 3, 2025. He scored 13 of his 15 points in the first half, making his first four shots, three of them threes, and finished plus-25 in 27 minutes. Flagg assisted on two of his threes in the first quarter.
“I think just his gravity, like just, you know, having so much gravity as a player, he attracts so much attention that opens up the floor for everybody else,” Flagg said. “And I think, you know, my gravity, as I’ve continued to grow more and more, I think I’ve gotten him some easier looks as well. So just find ways to play off each other and find him, you know, him finding me, and just helping each other and making the game easier. That’s something that’s been fun to experiment with.”
“I think there’s a lot of growth, you know, another gear that we can get to with each other out there,” he said. “But it’s been a pleasure to be able to just be alongside him and learn.”
He also called Irving “a great leader, a great vet” and “a great voice out there, commanding guys to do different things.”
Irving said in a postgame TV interview that being back on the floor “feels amazing. I’m not taking any moment for granted.” He said he was “out for 19 months, and it was tough. Every single day, just rehabbing, making sure that I kept my mental strong, making sure that physically I was ready to go.”
Asked about Flagg, Irving said he started texting him after games last season while he was on the sideline. “He led us in every statistical category, basically, and it’s not many 18- and 19-year-olds that are doing that,” Irving said. “So he already has a special talent, he already has the competitive drive, the competitive nature to go out there and compete against the best. And now it’s my job to go out there and make sure that I’m fulfilling the leader alongside him.”
Eight assists, no turnovers
Flagg shot 10-of-23, 2-of-8 from three and 4-of-4 from the line in 33 minutes. He had 10 points and three assists in the third quarter, when Dallas pushed a 65-59 halftime lead to 94-81. One of his first-quarter assists set up Daniel Gafford’s first made three in eight NBA seasons.
Asked about his playmaking in his second season after starting his career at point guard, Flagg said it “just comes with getting more and more comfortable” and with the guys trusting him more. “Keeping the defense honest, you know, I’m not letting them over help,” he said. “Whenever you feel heavy pressure, you’ve got to get it to the next man and let them make the right play as well.”
He said the muscle he added in the offseason has helped him get to the rim. “Just holding my lines, getting all the way downhill and trying to create more contact, get fouled,” Flagg said. “I think just getting stronger helps with that too, being able to hold my line better, be more physical.”
May said the Thunder were sending a second defender at Flagg from the weak side. “His ability to just get in the paint, and they were bringing the double from the weak side, and he’s able to navigate that. Several shots that looked great that just didn’t drop,” May said. “He’s creating great looks for himself and his teammates. And just like Kai, when your franchise guys are that unselfish, you know, it’s very difficult not to fall in line and continue with playing good ball.”
May on Flagg’s night, posted by Abby Jones on X.
Risacher on Gilgeous-Alexander
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 21 points on 7-of-19 shooting and was minus-21. Zaccharie Risacher, whose 2027-28 option Dallas picked up this week, guarded him in the second half and scored 13 points on 5-of-6 shooting off the bench.
“The job he did on Shai in the second half, I’ve watched a lot of Shai film, and you don’t see that very often, to beat him to spots, to get deflections, to challenge shots without fouling,” May said. “He was great.”
Ajay Mitchell scored 29 for Oklahoma City, which played without Jalen Williams, Cason Wallace, Chet Holmgren and Alex Caruso.
‘Throw that first punch’
Flagg said the difference was “trying to throw that first punch rather than, you know, the other team throwing the first punch, being more physical from the jump.” He gave credit to team president Masai Ujiri and May for the culture change. “Get guys back to just competing and worried about one thing, it’s just winning,” Flagg said. “And I think Dusty has contributed a lot. Obviously, he’s super knowledgeable and he’s had us prepared.”
Both teams play the Houston Rockets next. Dallas hosts Houston on Friday at 8 p.m. ET, which is 2 a.m. Saturday in Cairo, and the Thunder visit the Rockets on Saturday.
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