Dallas, TX
Earlier impacts from Kyrie Irving have Dallas Mavericks on doorstep of second round
LOS ANGELES — Jason Kidd’s decision to draw up a play for Kyrie Irving on the first possession of Game 5 set an intentional tone for Wednesday’s blowout victory over the LA Clippers.
Long before Irving’s two-way highlight that led to one of his most impressive plays of the first round, he opened scoring for both teams by using the same shot that helped the Clippers trounce the Mavericks in Game 4 as he threw up a floater over the outstretched arms of Terance Mann and Ivica Zubac.
On the next possession, Irving threw an overhead pass to a cutting P.J. Washington for an easy dunk. The next time Dallas scored derived from an alley-oop connection from Luka Doncic to Derrick Jones Jr. Irving had another score inside the paint a couple of possessions later.
The Mavericks’ diverse offense, coupled with several possessions of suffocating defense, led to a dominant 123-93 victory in what could have been the Clippers’ last home game at Crypto.com Arena. The 30-point blowout began with the early assertiveness from Irving, who had typically waited to look for his shot until after the first quarter.
“I think it sends a very direct message, not only to my teammates and me, but to the other team that we see a mismatch out there,” Irving said. “We see something that we can take advantage of. It’s no disrespect to who we’re playing against … when your number is called, you just gotta be ready to stay aggressive. I felt pretty good and confident that J [Kidd] threw some plays my way and I was able to get it going.”
A glance at Irving’s stat line of 14 points, four rebounds, six assists and two steals probably wouldn’t mean much to the casual fan. His 40-point explosion through the final three quarters in Game 4 may appear more impactful. However, his five shot attempts in the first quarter were his most through any first quarter in the series, which required the Clippers to send double-teams earlier than usual.
As a result, Dallas’ athletic group of forwards and centers had more freedom to cut to the rim for lobs and easy baskets. Doncic, who played through injury and illness, also had his most efficient outing of the series with 35 points, seven rebounds and 10 assists with a plus/minus rating of 28. Irving led the team with a plus/minus of 35 — the highest of any player through the series.
Since his acquisition last season, Irving’s been lauded in Dallas for serving as a leader and a co-star next to Doncic. Irving is typically known for his offensive abilities, but he’s embraced the challenge as a defender as well.
“You gotta have great conditioning to be able to make an impact on that end,” Irving said. “We have so much firepower in here, I don’t necessarily have to rely on my offensive abilities to get me going. I really take pride in it and it carries over to my teammates.”
Despite giving up a couple of inches, he’s been the primary defender of James Harden. The two former teammates from Brooklyn have swapped baskets on each other throughout the series.
“Kyrie was playing great defense and pressuring [Harden] the whole time,” Doncic said.
Irving had two steals Wednesday, including one from Harden with eight minutes left in the third quarter. The crafty veteran used his elite ball-handling to go from one side of the court to the other, but the combination of a right-to-left crossover into a behind-the-back dribble allowed Irving to keep a defending Norman Powell on his toes.
Irving finished a layup through contact with his off-hand, putting the finishing touches on a play that garnered attention from several notable names, including LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Isaiah Thomas. He credited his AAU coach, Sandy Pyonin, for challenging him to keep his head up while dribbling at full-speed.
“Not a lot of people can go from A to B and make five moves while they’re running,” Irving said. “I think that’s something that separates me from a lot of different guards in the league. … Some of the moves just come out of the creative air. It feels good that I was able to finish it, but I knew it was a bigger play than just the highlight.”
The play was a momentum shift for the Mavericks, who will return to Dallas looking to close out the Clippers in six games. Before the series began, Doncic was asked about what separates this Mavericks team from the groups who lost to the Clippers in the first round of the playoffs in 2020 and 2021.
“We have Kai,” Doncic said.
Twitter/X: @MikeACurtis2
Find more Mavericks coverage from The Dallas Morning News here.
Monday was a wild day for the NFL with two blockbuster trades. First was Myles Garrett, who both the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles were rumored to have interest in.
Cowboys fans never bought into these rumors, knowing that Jerry Jones was unlikely to make such an investment. The Eagles, however, have been known to get aggressive. Thankfully for Dallas fans, they didn’t make the move as the Cleveland Browns sent Garrett to the Los Angeles Rams for Jared Verse and a package of picks.
Not long after that trade was finalized, the Eagles did wind up making a trade. After months of speculation surrounding A.J. Brown and the New England Patriots, the two sides made it official as Brown was reunited with Mike Vrabel in exchange for a 2028 first-round pick and a 2027 fifth-rounder.
Dallas Cowboys could take the NFC East crown in 2026
The writing has been on the wall all offseason regarding Brown, who has been unhappy with the Eagles for a while. His departure seemed confirmed when they traded up with Dallas in the 2026 NFL draft for USC receiver Makai Lemon.
While Lemon has the tools to be a difference-maker, he won’t be able to perform at the same level as Brown during his rookie season. The Eagles do still have DeVonta Smith at receiver as well as running back Saquon Barkley and quarterback Jalen Hurts.
That said, there’s no denying that they’re weaker this season than they were with Brown. Just as important, however, is the fact that general manager Howie Roseman didn’t pull off a shocking move for Garrett, which would have made them the overwhelming favorites in the division.
Cowboys chances hinge on defensive changes
Another reason the Cowboys are confident they can hang with Philadelphia this season is the presence of Christian Parker, who they hired as their defensive coordinator after he spent the past two seasons as the passing game coordinator and defensive backs coach with the Eagles.
Parker brings in a new scheme and plenty of confidence, but more importantly, he has several new weapons at his disposal. Dallas traded for veterans Rashan Gary and Dee Winters, signed Jalen Thompson and Cobie Durant, and selected Caleb Downs and Malachi Lawrence in the draft.
Those are just some of the moves they made on defense, and they’re banking on that to be enough to help propel them past the team that has won the division the past two seasons.
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FOX 4’s Clarice Tinsley celebrates the following members of the Class of 2026: Zavion Berry, Demi Glenn, Peyton Jankowski, Brynnah Stone, Bailee Swilling and Caroline Woahloe.
The Dallas Cowboys’ goal of having a bounce-back season in 2026 after missing out on the NFL playoffs for two consecutive years begins on Monday, June 1, with the start of organized team activities (OTAs).
OTAs are voluntary, so the whole squad will not be on the field when the team returns to The Star on Monday afternoon, but it’s our first look at the veteran players coming together with the impressive 2026 rookie class to begin preparations for the new year.
Dallas completely revamped its defense in the offseason after firing defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus and hiring Christian Parker away from the division rival Philadelphia Eagles, so there will be plenty of attention on the defensive rebuild.
One of the players who will have all eyes on them when OTAs kick off is first-round pick Caleb Downs, who made a positive impression during rookie minicamp. Downs impressed the Cowboys front office, coaching staff, and star players with his poise during his first camp as a rookie, and the hope is that he can develop into the defensive leader that Parker needs on the roster.
There will also be plenty of positional battles to watch, from determining who will start at EDGE, linebacker, and even a heated competition in the team’s loaded tight end room, so there is plenty for fans to look forward to as the team ramps up its offseason program.
When will the players be strapping up their helmets for OTAs and minicamp over the next few weeks?
A full look at the schedule for the Cowboys’ offseason program and preseason can be seen below.
2026 Cowboys Offseason Program: OTAs & Mandatory Minicamp Dates
OTAs
Session 1: Monday, June 1
Session 2: Tuesday, June 2
Session 3: Thursday, June 4
Session 4: Monday, June 8
Session 5: Tuesday, June 9
Session 6: Thursday, June 11
Mandatory Minicamp: Thursday, June 16 through Saturday, June 20
Training Camp: Dates TBD
Dallas Cowboys Preseason Schedule
Week 1 – Saturday, August 15, 8:00 p.m. ET: at Seattle Seahawks | Lumen Field | Seattle, Washington
Week 2 – Saturday, August 22, 9:00 p.m. ET: at Arizona Cardinals | State Farm Stadium | Phoenix, Arizona
Week 3, Friday, August 28, 7:00 p.m. ET: New Orleans Saints | AT&T Stadium | Arlington, Texas
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