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The final buzzer sounds with a final score of 105-110, as Utah’s comeback effort fell short in the dying moments of this contest.

It’s a minor miracle that the Jazz were within striking distance at all down the stretch, as the Grizzlies took a 16-point lead in the final two minutes of the third quarter and buried the Jazz under a wave of momentum. To make matters worse, Utah was left without their two best players and veteran leaders, Lauri Markkanen and Jaren Jackson Jr., both of whom left the game in the first half and did not return.

Markkanen doubled over in pain after a collision on a screen, his wrist pinned between the screener and his teammate and bending awkwardly. He did not return and could hardly manage his pain on his walk to the locker room, stopping and leaning over in agony.

Jackson was in the wrong place at the right time, as a tumbling Grizzly landed on his calf and bent his knee awkwardly. He was quickly removed from the game despite an effort to fight through the pain; he didn’t return either.

The Utah Jazz are losing big men like a cloud loses water; when it rains, it pours. Sending both Lauri Markkanen and Jaren Jackson Jr. to the locker room in the first half is a nightmare scenario for the winning-minded Jazz, compounded by pre-existing injuries to Utah’s frontcourt depth in Jusuf Nurkic and Jaxson Hayes. That’s the bad news. The good news? Another certified Mo Bamba sighting (TM) has been reported in Salt Lake City.

Bamba was exceptional when Will Hardy called his number, posting an immaculate stat line while locking down Utah’s interior defense. 110 is the lowest point total Utah has allowed all season, and that’s thanks in large part to Bamba’s 14 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 blocks in 29 minutes of burn. It can be easy to forget that Bamba was once a lottery pick — he reminded the Delta Center tonight.

Hammer slams, airborne denials, and more dish deflections than an ungrateful baby at their own birthday party, Bamba made his presence known and hardly looked like Utah’s fourth option at center. He was critical in bringing the Jazz back within striking distance in the late game.

Darryn Peterson still has a lot of growing to do, but he played well in critical moments of this contest.

Still a rookie determined to make his mark while on the floor, once he decides he wants to shoot the ball, there’s little that can change his mind. He forced the issue regularly down the stretch, but I’m encouraged by his aggression. Unafraid of the moment, he wants the ball in his hands when the game is on the line. Peterson is still finding his rhythm in the NBA (5-for-18 from the field tonight), but he put constant pressure on Memphis’ interior defense and was a friendly bounce or two away from erasing the Grizzlies’ lead late.

And I would be remiss not to acknowledge the contributions of Ace Bailey and Keyonte George, the two youngsters who just keep on rowing, even when the life raft meets a storm.

Ace posted another double-digit rebounding night (4 on the offensive end) and never takes a play off without the ball in his hands. It’s strange how seemingly every pre-draft drawback has been absolutely false about Bailey as a pro. Hard-working, selfless, and gritty, Will Hardy hasn’t been able to keep his second-year wing off the floor because he makes winning plays consistently and reliably.

And Keyonte plays basketball like a seasoned veteran. He led all scorers with 26 today, finishing through contact and getting to the foul line when his teammates couldn’t find the center of the rim. Adding 6 assists to his season total, George was able to control possession without giving the ball away (only 2 turnovers).

Assuming Markkanen and JJJ miss extended time, the keys to the pickup truck are in Keyonte’s hands. Utah’s success will be dependent on how far he can lift the injured roster. Tonight, the Jazz couldn’t close the gap in time, but Bailey, George, and Mo Bamba kept them within reach.

Calvin Barrett is the Associate Editor for SLC Dunk and a Utah Jazz columnist for the Daily Herald and Standard-Examiner. Originally from Springville, Utah, he currently writes from his desk in Japan.

The Dallas Mavericks (2—2) defeated the Miami Heat (0-4), 113-109, on Monday night in Miami, picking up their second win of the season. Cooper Flagg led the Mavericks with a huge double-double — 29 points and 11 assists. That’s not all he did, but we’ll get to that later.

It was an impressive win for this new-look Mavericks team. Flagg dominated the game late, but it truly was a team-effort to get this one over the finish line. Various Mavericks across the board contributed both offensively and defensively.

Let’s get to the numbers:

1: Number of other players to post Flagg’s stat line against the Heat

Cooper Flagg was masterful with 29 points, 11 assists, six rebounds, five steals, and three blocks. Only one other player in NBA history has posted a stat line like Cooper’s, and it was James Harden, according to Mavericks PR.

This means Flagg is the only teenager to ever post a stat line like the one Flagg had tonight. Flagg has had some outstanding games in his young Mavericks career, but this felt like an early career-defining performance. Yes, Flagg has dropped 50- and 40-point games, but Flagg was special tonight with how well-rounded his performance was — the eight combined steals and blocks is insane, to go along with the 11 assists. Flagg was everywhere against the Heat, setting up his teammates early in the first half and then dominating the final minutes to close out the win.

15: Walter Clayton Jr. scoring

The Mavericks new two-way guard had a career-night against the Heat, with 15 points in 17 minutes on 6-of-7 shooting. Clayton was fearless against the Miami defense, not shy to pull to the trigger when the defense sagged to pay more attention to Flagg or other veteran threats.

Clayton also had four assists and quietly has nine assists and only two turnovers in his last two games. The Mavericks staff might have to figure out what to do here, as Clayton only has so much NBA availability this season as a two-way player. He seems like a rotation guy for now.

22: Combined steals, blocks for the Mavericks

Dallas finished with 11 steals and 10 blocks, a huge number of splash defensive plays against a physical Heat roster.

The Mavericks defense is inconsistent, highlighted by the lack of true, ball-stopping, point-of-attack defenders on the roster. But where the team might like high-level individual defensive talent, they’re starting to make up for that with some havoc-causing team defense.

Dallas has a big and long roster, and it feels like coach Dusty May and his staff are taking advantage of that fact. Dallas might have defensive sequences where guys get lost off ball or give up an easy transition opportunity, but then will flip that around and swarm a ball handler in the paint, chipping down with active hands to cause deflections.

CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Cavaliers erased a 15-point deficit to squek out a 127-125 overtime win over a quality Minnesota Timberwolves team.

Three stars of the game

First star: Anthony Edwards

47 points, 4 assists, 4 rebounds, 2 blocks

Edwards is a professional scorer. He has the athleticism and explosive first step to wreck defenses anytime he puts the ball on the floor. And now that he can play off-ball more with the addition of LaMelo Ball, defenses aren’t able to load up on his side of the court as easily as they have in previous seasons.

That scoring was on display when the Timberwolves needed it most. Edwards poured in 11 points in the fourth quarter to help send this game to overtime, and then threw in 11 more points in the extra frame. He missed a three that would’ve tied it up at the end of overtime, but this was still a fantastic outing.

Second star: Donovan Mitchell

26 points, 7 assists, 5 rebounds, 2 steals

Mitchell wasn’t the best shooting guard on the court, but he was good enough to pull the Cavs across the finish line. He made big shots when the team needed it, took care of the ball, and dished out seven helpers, which included two nice lobs to the bigs.

It was a quality performance.

Third star: James Harden

22 points, 8 assists, 4 rebounds, 2 steals

This has been a difficult start of the season for Harden. He’s mostly gotten to his spots on the floor, but hasn’t been able to consistently convert. That continued through the first half tonight as he went 1-for-6 from the field, which included missing some point-blank looks.

Things might’ve been worse defensively. Minnesota’s guards hunted mismatches against him and took advantage when they got them.

Yet, Harden hung in there.

The Cavs turned the game around when Harden did. He got the ball rolling by pouring in eight points in the third quarter. Then in the fourth, he registered seven points and four assists — which included two helpers on three-pointers — and he recorded the game-tying field goal with 10 seconds left to help send the game to overtime. Harden followed that up with five points in the extra frame and put the game away at the free-throw line.

This was a rough start from Harden. Maybe the Cavs don’t fall behind by 15 if Harden is better in the first half. That said, this team had no chance of completing this impressive comeback if Harden doesn’t step up as he did.

The Cavs offense is built on protecting the ball, putting pressure on the rim, and spraying out to shooters when the defense collapses. They need Harden at his best to do that. This was a nice reminder of how good the offense can be when he’s playing well.

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Dud of the game

LaMelo Ball

11 points, 6 assists, 0 rebounds, 7 turnovers

Turnovers were the difference in this game. Cleveland’s starting backcourt combined for just four giveaways. Minnesota’s combined for 11 — which is one more than the Cavs had as a team. Ball was the main culprit here with seven turnovers. On top of that, Ball provided nothing as a rebounder and wasn’t much of a threat as a scorer.

Edwards just needed one more teammate to help him close out this game, and Ball was missing in action for large stretches. This was a departure from Ball’s first three games with the Timberwolves.

Cavaliers who deserve shoutouts

Meleek Thomas

16 points on 6-of-10 shooting

Getting your first-ever NBA minutes against one of the hottest teams in the league is a tall task, but Thomas handled it well. He came in and made an immediate impact as an off-ball scorer, which is something neither Craig Porter Jr. nor Tyrese Proctor could do in the first two games.

More importantly, Thomas held his own defensively. He did a good job of getting his hands in passing lanes, and he forced Ball into a traveling violation. Thomas’s teammates credit him for getting them going in this one.

“It’s very rare to ride the coattails of a rookie,” Mitchell said. “We didn’t have energy, we’re flat, we’re playing the wrong way, we weren’t doing the right things. For him to be the spark in his first game of the year is not normal.”

This was a solid debut for the second-round pick. Thomas showed he’s worthy of rotation minutes in the short term at the very least. The Cavs don’t complete this comeback without his efforts.

Peyton Watson

15 points, 8 rebounds, 4 blocks, 3 steals, 1 assist

This was the first time we got to see how the ideal version of Watson could really help the Cavs.

Offensively, Cleveland trusted him to initiate more actions, particularly whenever Minnesota showed ball pressure on one of the starting guards. This allowed Watson to attack some off the dribble, and more importantly, alleviated some of the responsibilities on Cleveland’s overburdened backcourt.

Watson was solid defensively. His weak-side rim protection was much needed on a night that Minnesota was able to continually get into the paint. That said, Watson struggled to stay in front of Edwards at times, although I’m not sure anyone in the league could’ve stayed in front of him on a night like this.

“At the end of the day, Ant’s Ant,” Mitchell said. “But making it tough on him, that’s what Peyton did all night. We ended up getting the stops we needed most, and that’s truly all that matters.”

Overall, this was a clear step in the right direction for a player who has struggled to find his place in a new starting lineup in his first two games.

Play of the game

Plays like this show how impactful Thomas can be. He thwarted one action and eventually ended a defensive possession on one end, then created an easy basket on the other with his speed and hustle. Sequences like this go a long way for someone we know is a skilled scorer when he has the ball.

Quote of the game

“Just stay ready, and your moment will come cause you can’t really keep a star in the closet for too long.”

– Meelek Thomas on how he was able to stay ready despite playing in his first two games.

Stat of the game

The Cavs were in the 94th percentile for offensive turnover percentage.

Turnovers have been the biggest issue plaguing the Cavs in their first two games. It wasn’t a problem tonight as they surrendered possession just 10 times. They won the points-off-turnover battle 21-8.

This game will be remembered for Meleek Thomas’s debut

Thomas had an exceptional start to his NBA career. He made a high impact as a scorer and defender against a title contender in each of his stints off the bench. Debuts like that are rare from second-round picks.

We’ll find out in time what this means for Thomas’s role this season. One good game doesn’t mean he will be a permanent member of the rotation or that he’s going to develop into a high-quality player. That said, it’s difficult not to be encouraged after a night like this.

“I think we definitely got lucky with him being able to come to us,” Mitchell said of Thomas. “I tell him he has set a high precedent for himself, but I’m excited for him. We’re excited, and he was a big part of why we ended up getting this win.”

To say it with the words of long-time Pistons PA announcer John Mason: “Deeeeeetroit basketball”!

As annoying as that catchphrase is for everyone outside of Michigan these days, it doesn’t come close to the irritation the Knicks’ 0-3 start has gifted the orange and blue fanbase. And make no mistake about it: Even if their foes from the Motor City come into town shorthanded, they will be quite a handful for the Bockers. And above all, annoying.

Saying that about an opposing team might rub plenty of them the wrong way, but not the Detroit Pistons, who are probably smiling ear to ear when they hear that characterization. They absolutely revere the fact that it’s anything but a cakewalk playing against them and that their vaunted defense can make many a star think twice about that profession he once chose many moons ago. Sure, it’s not fun to be carved up by jumbo-sized combo guard Cade Cunningham in the high pick-and-roll, but it might be even less enjoyable to have the likes of Ron Holland II, “Bball Paul” Reed or Javonte Green slamming into you on the baseline with bad intentions. As our Knickerbockers surely know from quite a few battles in the last couple of years.

Knicks face shorthanded Pistons team

If you think that the good guys catch a bit of a break with the Pistons missing mammoth center Jalen Duren, Ausar Thompson, and maybe even newly acquired sharpshooter Isaiah Joe, you might very well be right. But you might also end up like the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday night. Yes, VJ Edgecombe and Joel Embiid weren’t in that episode of the soap opera “Bothering Love,” but LeBron and company surely thought that they could hang with a team giving minutes to someone named Tolu Smith. It turned out they couldn’t, as Detroit dominated the game from start to finish with physical, menacing defense, high intensity, and very good spacing on the offensive end.

As great as Ausar Thompson is as a defender, his outside shooting still makes Josh Hart on a bad week look like Louie Dampier out there. What the Pistons lose in defensive intensity gets picked up by the collective, yet on offense they actually gain a lot of punch with more opportunities for Duncan Robinson, Kevin Huerter, or Daniss Jenkins. Robinson has been especially hot to start the year, shooting over 53 percent from downtown on close to ten attempts. That presence makes it that much harder for opponents to guard against Cade Cunningham. As if that wasn’t hard enough already.

The Pistons superstar hasn’t really changed from previous years – lots of points, rebounds, and assists, yet also a lot of turnovers (16 in 3 games). One can have nightmares of him going up against the smaller New York backcourt defenders, and it would be warranted. The obvious solution is to put OG Anunoby on Cunningham, and I’m sure the Knicks coaches have thought of that already, as they have done in the past. The problem? Cunningham is elite in directing the pick-and-roll and works diligently to get premium defenders off his back so that he can attack smaller ones in the midrange area.

Where has all the Knicks magic gone?

In Thompson’s absence, the Knicks will see a lot of Daniss Jenkins next to Cunningham on Tuesday night. The backup guard has a knack for stepping up whenever he is called upon as a starter and did so against Philadelphia as well with 18 points. Other than that, the Pistons have gotten good play so far from John Collins (15.0 points, 7.7 rebounds), who has replaced former Pistons mainstay Tobias Harris at power forward this year. The versatile big is thriving in Detroit’s high-effort system, has a solid finishing touch, and provides decent switchability.

It won’t change the fact that Detroit isn’t a particularly big team without Duren in the middle or Thompson on the wing. They make up for it with physicality; they claw, fight, scrap. It surely seems like the last type of opponent New York would want to see right now, as they are clearly in a funk and would kill for some actual offensive rhythm. The champions might soon start asking every passerby near Madison Square Garden if they have seen the lost magic somewhere between 31st and 33rd Street that made their playoff run last year, well, magical. They themselves sure didn’t look like they could find it right now against Orlando.

But that’s the beauty of the NBA – you usually get a chance to write a different script pretty quickly. How does “Knicks beat last unbeaten team in the East for their first win” sound to you? A little long, but I’d take it. Surely sounds better than that John Mason chant.

Game Details

Who: New York Knicks (0-3) vs Detroit Pistons (3-0)
Date: Tuesday, October 27, 2026
Time: 7 PM ET
Place: Madison Square Garden, New York
TV: NBC
Follow: @ptknicksblog and bsky

Injury Report

Jalen Duren (hamstring) and Ausar Thompson (ankle) are out; Isaiah Joe (hip) looks to be a game-time decision. Jose Alvarado, with his own ankle issues, isn’t as lucky for the Knicks and will definitely miss the contest.

Oklahoma City was missing recently injured star or near-star players in Jaylen Williams, Chet Holmgren, and Cason Wallace. Most knowledgeable fans expected an uphill battle for Phoenix, as the Thunder still possess loads of talent, size, and culture. Our preview predicted an 8-point loss, with improvements in our early-season process issues, such as ball movement and boxing out glass-crashers. This was happening, until it wasn’t. The Thunder pulled away for a 125-114 victory.

Sadly, the main storyline is Devin Booker’s milk carton-level disappearance. Your superstar-paid player needs to assert himself in a game like this. Not just another “one of 82”, but a fork-in-the-road type game for a team finding its footing. According to Google Sports Data, his 3 points in 33 minutes is a career low for games over 30 minutes. Anyone could have a rough shooting night, but winning star players force the action, and he never seemed to attempt this. It was a big letdown after the 43-point game Saturday.   

Phoenix moved the ball slightly better, getting up 50 three-point shots and connecting on 36% of them. After a promising start at this, the Suns allowed 29% of the Thunder’s missed shots to be rebounded by them (2% worse than league average). Current lack of center depth with Mark Williams out definitely played a role in this.

Khaman Maluach is going through growing pains, but taking some developmental baby steps. Of the rotation players, he had a team-best -2 plus/minus. Miles Bridges demonstrated his varied offensive skills in the second half, but his overall defensive play and cold first half were an overall negative. Jalen Green actually looked somewhat under control and had 4 assists to one turnover while producing 20 points on an efficient 8-13 shooting.  

The Suns had a few spurts in this game, but every time they got some momentum, drives to the basket by the Thunder came about as easy as a Sunday 5 am drive down the 202.

The Suns have four days to use as a “get well retreat” ahead of NBA Cup play.  

Game Flow

First Half

Through how many centers have broadcast listeners heard Eddie Johnson say “keep that ball high, young man”.  Apparently, none have listened to this advice. The game opens with a Maluach offensive rebound…but then he brought the ball down and was stripped.

Some nice plays on both ends by Jalen Green, and the Suns led by one after the first 5 minutes. 

Alex Curoso, another one of those players that seems to elevate versus the Suns, came off the bench to hit consecutive threes. Collin Gillespie hit two of his own, finding his range. A success out of the gate, avoiding another bad start against an emotional team and crowd.

A Jordan Goodwin hustling offensive board and subsequent three limited a bad end to Q1, and Phoenix trailed 27-33. Ajay Mitchell with 13 points after one quarter.

Ryan Dunn once again looked more confident than last year, starting Q2 with a forced turnover, block, and corner three of his own.

Miles Bridges had several first-half blunders, but he added a nasty dunk over Isaiah Hartenstein.  Suns still hanging around, but allowing penetration and second chances – things on the radar for process improvement from our preview article.

Man Man was holding his own against rising rookie Aday Mara, but received his third foul with 5 minutes remaining in the half. Phoenix went “small ball” with no true center. This contributed to another strong quarter-end by OKC, up 14 in spite of a Dillon Brooks buzzer-beating three.  Looks like I missed Devin Booker highlights. He did play but was largely invisible.

Second Half

Jalen Green looked like someone had moved up his NBA 2K awareness slider, making several well-paced attacks at the basket. Phoenix overall seemed to ratchet up their effort. A Miles Bridges three cut it to nine. OKC responded with another McCain three to put the deficit back to 14. 

Free-throw “yips” again raised their head for Phoenix with 7-of-19 misses.  

Bridges got it going in Q3 with a traditional 3-point play and another long-range three. More OKC drives that met little resistance and back to a 14-point lead going into Q4.

A watch item was preventing offensive rebounds. While Phoenix had only allowed 23% offensive rebounds through three, this started to become a problem, with Hartenstein alone up to six of them at the 7:56 mark of Q4. A Book airball out of the timeout, and this one’s starting to look like a route.

It had been a frustrating night for Dillon Brooks. After an incidental knee-to-knee with Aday Mara, he shoved him and was assessed a flagrant foul for excessive contact and then a dead-ball technical after the call. Thunder by 20. And in the end, Thunder by 11.

Up Next

Nuggets at Suns, Friday, October 30, 7:00 pm MST (first game of NBA Cup).

The Cleveland Cavaliers picked up an inspiring comeback win over the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Grades are based on our usual expectations for each player.

Player of the game

Donovan Mitchell

26 points, 5 rebounds, 7 assists

Mitchell is quietly off to a great start this season. His three-point shooting helped spur the Cavalanche that put Cleveland back in front after trailing by 10 points at halftime. In the fourth quarter and overtime, it was Mitchell who played closer — dueling with Anthony Edwards and coming up with the last laugh.

Grade: A-

Grades

James Harden

19 points, 9 assists, 5 rebounds, 1 turnover

Harden looked slow and ineffective in the first half. His usual floater was off the mark, and his three-pointer wasn’t falling.

It wasn’t until the third quarter that Harden finally looked like the player Cleveland traded for last season. A healthy dose of isolation scoring is what dug the Cavaliers out of their hole and back into this game.

Grade: B

Evan Mobley

18 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 blocks

Mobley had trouble establishing himself in the paint against Minnesota’s size, but he unleashed multiple three-pointers in the second half to compensate. His clutch shooting from outside helped save the day.

Grade: B+

Peyton Watson

15 points,8 rebounds, 1 assist, 3 steals, 4 blocks

Watson had his most comfortable and effective game as a Cavalier to date. He was emboldened to handle the ball more throughout this game, and that seemingly helped him settle into a groove. Watson was everywhere defensively and a constant threat to break free in transition and attack the basket.

A special shout-out to his game-saving block on Edwards in crunch time.

Grade: A-

Jarrett Allen

10 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 2 blocks

This was a subdued performance from Allen. He played his usual role for most, until watching the final battle take place from the bench as Kenny Atkinson opted for a one-big lineup to close.

Grade: B-

Jaylon Tyson

11 points, 5 assists, 4 rebounds

Tyson shot 0-of-4 from downtown but a perfect 5-for-5 inside the arc for an impactful night. He’s continued to flash the tertiary playmaking that Cleveland needs from its bench, dishing 5 assists in this game. Tyson finished as a team-high plus-15 despite not having a box score that jumps off the page.

Grade: B

Mario Hezonja

3 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist

This was the first dud of Hezonja’s career in Cleveland. He wasn’t super effective at anything, and the box score reflects this.

Grade: D+

Sam Merrill

9 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal

Merrill brough this usual contributions, sprinting around the perimeter and making it so Minnesota’s defense couldn’t form a solid wall. It wasn’t his most electric three-point shooting performance, but it was enough.

Grade: C+

Meleek Thomas

16 points, 2 rebounds

Thomas was fantastic in his debut. He played with a sense of urgency that hasn’t been seen from any of the other Cavs’ guards attempting to win the backup point guard position.

Within just a few minutes, Thomas was nailing three-pointers and forcing turnovers. He was engaged on both ends of the floor and led the team in scoring at halftime.

Thomas carried his momentum into the second half, where a pair of three-pointers sent Cleveland’s crowd into a frenzy. It’s safe to say the rookie has already become a fan favorite. If it wasn’t for Mitchell’s late-game scoring, I would have given Thomas the Player of the Game.

Grade: A+

The Milwaukee Bucks won their first game of the season, 110-102, against the Indiana Pacers! Tyler Herro’s near triple-double of 23 points, 10 rebounds, and seven assists, along with Kel’el Ware’s 16 points and 14 boards, helped the Bucks ride a third-quarter rally to overcome a weary Pacers squad on the second night of a back-to-back. The win ends the Bucks’ three-game losing streak and lets them keep bragging rights after the chippy preseason game. Tyrese Haliburton led Indiana with 22 points and nine assists, while Pascal Siakam and Obi Toppin added 20 and 14, respectively.

Game Recap

The Pacers opened the scoring when Pascal Siakam grabbed an offensive rebound and found Aaron Nesmith in the paint for a layup, but the game saw a back-and-forth start. After Haliburton’s floater tied it at six, the Bucks responded with their own 6-0 run, punctuated by Kyle Kuzma’s and-one dunk over Jay Huff. Contradicting my Prescient prediction, the Pacers started cold from beyond the arc (1/8), but gradually warmed up after the first timeout. Jarace Walker’s triple from the top of the arc cut Milwaukee’s lead to just one point. However, Kasparas Jakucionis found Kel’el Ware on two separate dimes to put the Bucks back up five with 90 seconds left. But of course, the Bucks failed to close the quarter strongly, turning it over in the final moments as Haliburton went end-to-end for a transition layup. Milwaukee up 31-29 after one.

Quenton Jackson tied the game with a pull-up midrange jumper less than 30 seconds into the second quarter, kickstarting a 9-0 run for Indy in the first 90 seconds. The Pacers threatened to stretch their lead to double digits after a pair of threes from Jay Huff and Haliburton, but the Bucks surged back. Ryan Rollins hit a three, Kel’el Ware finished a lob over Huff, and Rollins hit another bomb to give the home side a one-point lead about four minutes in. But, as they are wont to do, the Pacers responded with an 8-0 run as the Bucks went cold; Haliburton splashed a stepback three to push Indiana’s lead to nine, then got in Rollins’ face afterwards, continuing theirpreseason feud. Siakam closed out the half with a nice fadeaway, putting the Pacers up 61-50.

The Bucks started the third quarter well, trimming Indiana’s lead to six points via a pair of Herro threes in semi-transition. The Bucks found success passing around Indiana’s defense and finding open guys on the outside. Another Herro three trimmed Indiana’s lead to two with 6:33 remaining, and a Rollins layup tied it. Indiana slowly worked its way back out to a five-point lead, though, after Haliburton found Toppin in the restricted area for his ninth assist of the game. A nice moment followed with Nate Ament connecting on a wing triple for his first NBA field goal, but Haliburton responded almost immediately with a three from the top of the arc. Indiana ended the quarter up just one, 85-84.

The Bucks began the fourth with a defensive focus; most of all, they did a great job limiting Siakam’s effectiveness in the paint. Milwaukee’s defence was leading to offence, getting them easy transition shots. The Pacers, meanwhile, took quick threes without letting their offence develop. Before long, a smooth Rollins layup put Milwaukee up 101-92 with 5:27 minutes left. But the Bucks would not make it easy on themselves, giving up a 6-0 run in what felt like 30 seconds to cut Milwaukee’s lead to just three. The home team needed a veteran to step up, and after a tough start to the season, Myles Turner rose to the occasion with a steal and two blocks within 45 seconds, allowing Milwaukee to get the game back on their terms—he was huge. Milwaukee also got key second-chance points, including a Turner offensive rebound that eventually led to an open Kuzma three that pushed the Bucks’ lead to eight with less than two minutes left. Indiana couldn’t overcome the deficit, and Milwaukee registered its first regular season win of the Taylor Jenkins era. Yew!

Stat That Stood Out

13 of Milwaukee’s 24 second-chance points came in the fourth quarter, largely thanks to Myles Turner’s hustle on the offensive glass. Those plays gave Milwaukee’s struggling offense another chance at a bucket. Whether Milwaukee’s bigs could handle Siakam and Huff on the glass was a real question entering Monday’s win—Turner answered it decisively.

Obscene Overreaction

Nate Ament might need to be a regular in the rotation. After struggling in Saturday’s loss to Philadelphia, Ament showed real growth tonight, offensively and defensively. He looked willing to initiate contact despite his slender build, especially against Siakam on the block, and his defensive awareness improved, as he got only one foul. Ament posted seven points, going 1/2 from long range and 3/8 from the field. Ament’s shooting struggles are real—three of his missed field goal attempts were long twos—but the rookie showed some great signs today.

What a damn game, y’all. Cooper Flagg willed the Dallas Mavericks (2-2) to a 113-109 win over the Heat (0-4) on Monday at the Kaseya Center, giving Miami its worst start to a season in the Erik Spoelstra era.

Walter Clayton Jr. was super efficient in his minutes off the bench, and PJ Washington continued his stretch of quality play to start the season in an effort that helped offset a huge triple-double from Heat superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo, who led all scorers with 29 points, pulled down 15 rebounds and dished 11 assists in the loss.

The arrow is pointing emphatically upward at this early juncture in the 2026-27 season. It’s exciting, and it’s fun to watch the Mavericks play basketball at the moment. Savor it.

Cooper Flagg: A+

29 PTS / 6 REB / 11 AST / 5 STL / 3 BLK / 40 MIN

Flagg dropped two early dimes to get Irving going, including an incredible lob find for the star guard’s first bucket of the game. He delivered four assists before the game was four minutes old and five in the first quarter. He connected on a fancy finish of his own on an up-and-under dipsy-do in close after Daniel Gafford’s offensive rebound with 7:10 left in the first.

Flagg took a steal on a drive by Giannis Antetokounmpo with seven minutes left in the first half and delivered his sixth assist to PJ Washington on the ensuing break as Dallas tried to remain within shouting distance of a Heat team playing with more urgency. His first 3-pointer of the game came with just over a minute left in the half and tied the game, 50-50, during a 17-5 Dallas run.

He was quiet in the third quarter, but hit what might have been the biggest shot of the game to that point in the clutch, an and-one turnaround jumper through the foul of Pelle Larson with five minutes left as part of an 18-7 Dallas run that gave Flagg 22 points for the game. He one-upped himself with two minutes left to play though, raising up for his second 3-pointer of the game, which put the Mavs in front 111-105. His defense was sensational throughout, and he took over in the fourth, scoring 12 of his 29 points to will the Mavs to their second win of the season. Just an amazing performance.

Kyrie Irving: B-

18 PTS / 6 REB / 6 AST / 2 STL / 33 MIN

Irving sprinted out of the gates for seven points in the game’s first five minutes, serving as the primary engine for the Mavs’ offense. As it all fell apart late in the first and early in the second for the Mavs’ offense, he steadied the ship with a nifty little leaner in the lane to pull Dallas to within 41-32.

He connected on a slashing bucket through the defense of Andrew Wiggins early in the third. His 3-pointer midway through the third was an important one to keep the Mavs connected, down 74-67 at the time. He found a cutting Zaccharie Risacher along the baseline late in the third for a pretty assist that busted Risacher’s offensive slump and pulled Dallas to within 83-78. Irving then pulled up with just a second left on the third-quarter clock, hung in the air to let the defender pass him by, and cashed in the bucket that made it an 84-83 game headed to the fourth. It was good to see Irving push past the 30-minute mark in the win, but he shot just 2-of-10 from 3-point land in the win.

Max Christie: C+

11 PTS / 5 REB / 3 AST / 26 MIN

Corner Christie drained his first 3-point attempt on Flagg’s third assist of the game, which put the Mavs up 7-4 early on. He hit a second, this time from the top of the key, early in the second to pull Dallas to within 27-26. He does not do much else, though, which sometimes makes Christie a liability.

Zaccharie Risacher: B

6 PTS / 9 REB / 1 AST / 2 STL / 3 BLK / 30 MIN

Risacher sucked the life out of the Mavericks’ offense on his first possession on the floor with five minutes left in the first, suffocating the last 10 seconds of the shot clock before trying to turn around for a desperation heave over Bam Adebayo, which was, predictably, blocked. He then missed a wide open bunny after an offensive rebound, then hustled for a blocked shot and bricked his first 3-point attempt in a helter-skelter exchange late in the first. He turned the ball over when the ancient Bobby Portis knocked the ball out of his hands on a baseline drive with 1:57 left in the first.

He was not a contributor for much of the game, but nailed a wide open 3-pointer at last, early in the fourth, to pull Dallas to within 90-89, before making 1-of-2 at the free-throw line to tie it at 90-90 seconds later. His grade is boosted here due to the number of plays he made on the defensive end, including a huge fourth-quarter block of Antetokounmpo.

P.J. Washington: A-

20 PTS / 9 REB / 2 AST / 2 STL / 1 BLK / 41 MIN

Washington continued his run of form to start the year throughout the first half. he canned a couple of 3-pointers, including one on Flagg’s eighth assist of the half to give the Mavs a 53-52 lead at the half, took away a pair of steals and was part of the defensive effort that at least limited Antetokounmpo’s game-wrecking ability.

Early in the third, though, Antetokounmpo beat Washington on a drive on a play where Washington overcommitted on an inbound play, leaving Gafford to receive a flying knee below the belt as he rose up, but not high enough, in help defense. He would later atone with his fourth 3-ball of the game to pull Dallas to within 83-81 with less than a minute left in the frame. Washington played winning basketball again. This is becoming a welcome trend.

Daniel Gafford: B

8 PTS / 8 REB / 3 AST / 1 STL / 3 BLK / 26 MIN

Gafford made some awkward plays on both ends in the first quarter, but did come up with a nice blocked shot on Portis’ baseline drive in the frame’s final minute. His coach put him in a bad spot with the defensive assignment against Antetokounmpo in the second quarter, and when he hacked Antetokounmpo on the way to the bucket, Portis took exception, and a scrum ensued, resulting in a flagrant-1 for Gafford and double technicals for Gafford and Portis, both former Arkansas Razorbacks. Later in the second, Gafford made good by meeting Antetokounmpo at the rim for his second blocked shot of the first half.

He stepped up in help defense as Antetokounmpo barreled down the lane early in the third and received a knee to the groin for his troubles. He came back in just minutes later, which was good to see, and cleaned up Flagg’s miss to bring Dallas to within 70-64. He fouled out with just over four minutes left to play in the win. It was a solid effort, with a slight bonus for the violence perpetrated against his midsection.

Marcus Sasser: C-

0 PTS / 1 REB / 8 MIN

Sasser was not a factor in his eight minutes on the floor. He was supplanted in the rotation by the red-hot Walter Clayton Jr. He was 0-for-3 from the floor and missed badly on a pair of 3-point attempts.

Sergio De Larrea: INC

0 PTS / 1 REB / 6 MIN

De Larrea played just six minutes in the first half, didn’t have much of an impact on the proceedings, then left the game with what the team called a left knee strain after bumping (getting shoved by?) former Maverick Tim Hardaway Jr.

Morez Johnson Jr.: C

6 PTS / 2 REB / 1 AST / 15 MIN

Johnson picked up his first two fouls in his first 20 seconds on the floor against the Heat, so, yea, that’s about how things are going right now for the rookie. He looks like a rookie. He showed some nice touch, however, early in the second quarter on a short turn-around jumper, but lost Portis on defense on three consecutive possessions, resulting in Portis 3-pointers on three straight possesions, extending the Miami lead to 39-30 early in the second.

He left Sasser out to dry late in the shot clock with 8:45 left in the first half on a possession that ended in a shot clock violation. Johnson just couldn’t get out of his own way, committing his fourth foul after just eight minutes on the floor, barely more than three minutes into the second half. Johnson put back a big bucket off a missed 3-pointer by Washington with 3:40 left to play to give the Mavericks a 108-103 lead. He battled, whether it was against himself or against the Miami bigs.

Walter Clayton Jr.: A

15 PTS / 4 REB / 4 AST / 1 BLK / 17 MIN

Clayton came in 18 minutes into the game and immediately hit a little leaner in the lane, played the two-man game with a cutting Flagg to perfection for a pretty reverse bucket, then nailed a corner 3-ball with 3:44 left in the first half to pull Dallas to within five, down 50-45. He was one of the engines behind the Mavs’ 17-5 run late in the second.

He hit another big 3-pointer in response to a hot stretch by Miami that kept Dallas within 79-72, putting Clayton at eight points in his first seven minutes on the floor. Talk about efficiency. But he wasn’t done putting his fingerprints all over this game. He drove for a tough score to pull Dallas to within 93-92 with 8:27 left to play, then converted an even tougher drive through a Portis foul on the fast break the next time down. He completed the three-point play to give him 13 points in 13 minutes and put the Mavs ahead 95-93. He shot 6-of-7 from the field in what we may look back on as his breakout game.