What happened: Cooper Flagg and Kyrie Irving have established an early offensive tandem in the Dallas Mavericks backcourt. Irving returned from knee surgery to average 21.4 points across his first five appearances of the 2026-27 season. Flagg has stepped into a primary role during his debut month, averaging 25.2 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 6.5 assists through six games.

Why it matters: Dallas is integrating Flagg alongside a veteran scorer after dropping a 115-100 decision to the Sacramento Kings on Nov. 2. The pairing stabilizes the Mavericks offense while Irving works back into full rotation form following his knee rehabilitation. Their combined production gives Dallas multiple perimeter shot creators as early-season rotations solidify.

What to watch: The Mavericks return to action tonight at 9:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.