The Dallas Mavericks were back at home on Friday evening, looking to stop a two-game losing skid. Kyrie Irving was dealing with an illness but still played, so it would be interesting to see how they would respond.
It was also the debut of Santi Aldama, who had been recovering from knee surgery.
This was not pretty early. Cooper Flagg and Kyrie Irving were each struggling to score from the field, but P.J. Washington and Morez Johnson Jr. at least kept things alive. The pair combined for 13 of the team's 26 first-quarter points, but they had a two-point deficit entering the second.
It was more of the same in the second frame, though Santi Aldama at least gave them some fresh life with his versatility. Washington exploded for 11 points in this period after hitting a triplet of three-pointers.
Even though it was a tie game, 57-57, entering halftime, it didn't feel great to be tied against a bad Jazz team.
It didn't start much better in the second half, but Cooper Flagg and Kyrie Irving started to get a little more comfortable. Still, an Ace Bailey slam on a lob put the Jazz up by two, 70-68, and forced a timeout from Dusty May.
Whatever was said in that timeout needs to be said more often, as the Mavericks outscored the Jazz 21-6 for the final seven minutes and change of the quarter. Cooper Flagg was windmilling, Morez Johnson Jr. was slamming alley-oops, Irving was hitting his signature pull-ups... it was a great time.
That onslaught continued into the 4th quarter, as a 7-0 start gave the Mavericks a 20-point lead just a few minutes in.
Utah didn't go away, though. They'd chip away with rookie Darryn Peterson single-handedly getting them back into it, as he scored the first 12 points of the quarter for the Jazz.
With a chance to cut the lead down to 10 with about six minutes left, which would've been a big milestone for the Jazz, Keyonte George split a pair of free throws. The Mavericks capitalized on that momentum with a three-pointer from P.J. Washington and a transition dunk from Naji Marshall.
The Mavericks would coast to the finish from there, winning 112-100, as they move to 2-0 in NBA Cup Group Play action.
Here are three overreactions from this win.
Nov 6, 2026; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward Santi Aldama (34) reacts during the first half against the Utah Jazz in an Emirates NBA Cup game at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Santi Aldama only ended up playing about 13 minutes in this game, and you could tell he was still getting his feet under him, but he was great, finishing with 8 points and 9 rebounds while being a +17. That's a crazy impact for 13 minutes.
Aldama has great defensive versatility, is a good rebounder, and his threat as a three-point shooter forces the defense to hesitate for just a half second. It was great seeing him back on the floor, and he's going to be an important piece for them.
A lot had been made of P.J. Washington's fit alongside Cooper Flagg, as it didn't always look the smoothest last season. Part of it was a lack of playmaking on the roster, but Washington just didn't play that well.
He's been great this season, even if we haven't mentioned it much. Tonight was his best game of the season, as he finished with 26 points and 6 rebounds while going 6/10 from three-point range.
The same can be said for Morez Johnson Jr. A vocal minority of the fanbase had been overreacting to Yaxel Lendeborg's start with the Golden State Warriors and wanted more from Morez Johnson.
So, how do 13 points and 17 rebounds sound? That's what Johnson provided tonight, and he was all over the place. He's been dealing with some shin splints, so his athleticism hasn't always been there, but he's slowly getting more comfortable.
This is the third game in a row where Cooper Flagg has really struggled in the first half, as he shot just 2/8 from the floor in this one. He came around in the second half to finish with 21 points, 10 rebounds, and 7 assists, but after starting 2/10 on Monday against the Kings and 1/11 against the Spurs on Wednesday, it's at least something to note.
Flagg is still playing at an All-Star level this year, but the Mavericks could be blowing teams out if he were a little more confident in his shot early in games.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/nba/mavericks/onsi as 3 Overreactions as Mavericks Move to 2-0 in NBA Cup Play With Win Over Jazz .
