Dallas, TX
Mavericks bounce back with 130-120 win over Cavaliers after losing Friday night
Cooper Flagg scored 27 points, Naji Marshall added 25 and the Dallas Mavericks bounced back from a 33-point loss to Cleveland two days ago to defeat the Cavaliers 130-120 on Sunday afternoon.
The Mavericks, who were routed 138-105 on Friday night, pulled away in the second half to snap a seven-game losing streak against the Cavaliers.
P.J. Washington had 20 points and 11 rebounds for Dallas, which won for just the second time in 11 games.
It was the 12th time this season Flagg has scored at least 27 points. The top overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft was 10 of 17 from the field and also had 10 assists and six rebounds in 33 minutes.
Cleveland’s Donovan Mitchell had 26 points and Max Strus scored 24 points in his season debut. The seventh-year forward missed the first 67 games because of a broken left foot.
Strus suffered a Jones fracture — a break of the bone that connects the little toe to the base of the foot — during offseason training and underwent surgery on Aug. 26.
The Cavaliers committed 16 turnovers, which resulted in 25 Mavericks’ points.
There were 11 lead changes and seven ties in the first half before Dallas emerged with a 60-59 advantage at halftime.
The Mavericks scored the first seven points of the third quarter and extended their lead to 78-67 on a 3-pointer by Ryan Nembhard with 7:20 remaining.
The Cavaliers got within seven before the Mavericks countered with a 10-2 run late in the quarter.
Dallas’ John Poulakidas had 10 points in his second NBA game. Poulakidas, a rookie from Yale who signed a two-way contract on March 1, had eight points and two rebounds in the third quarter.
The Mavericks led by 21 in the fourth quarter before the Cavaliers made a late run.
Up next
Up next
Mavericks: At New Orleans on Monday.
Cavaliers: At Milwaukee on Tuesday.
If Dak Prescott is lost for an extended period of time in 2026, the Dallas Cowboys are what scientists call “hosed.” Unlike in 2022, when the Cowboys’ defense was good enough to hold down the fort in his absence, the current Dallas roster isn’t built to survive a long-term loss of their lead signal-caller. A short-term loss, on the other hand, might be survivable.
Depending how the backup quarterbacks look this summer, the Cowboys may be able to stay afloat without Prescott for a game or two, and Joe Milton and Sam Howell will be given every opportunity to prove themselves in practices. Milton, entering Year 2 in Dallas, has the inside track. The 6-foot-5, 246-pound product of Tennessee comes with an elite physical skillset. If the Cowboys can pick one guy to hit his potential, Milton’s the guy.
Howell, 6-foot-1, 220 pounds, isn’t the physical specimen Milton is, but he comes with 18 career starts under his belt and some ability to read defenses and anticipate throws. Howell’s roughly the same age as Milton but his ceiling isn’t nearly as high, so the onus is likely on him to beat out Milton.
In many ways, the Cowboys offense is a backup quarterback’s dream. Ceedee Lamb, George Pickens and Ryan Flournoy may be the best trio in the NFL this year, while Javonte Williams and the running game are one of the most reliable rushing attacks.
The only less-than-ideal part of the Cowboys offense is the pass protection on the edges. Whoever wins the QB2 job will have to be working on a clock because the ball may need to come out fast. Oh yeah, there’s also that pesky defensive situation to work around.
Under Christian Parker, the Dallas defense is expected to be better in 2026 but coming off a historically poor season, massive improvement is unlikely. Based on that, simply driving the bus at quarterback may not be enough to secure victory.
The launch of Dallas’s new “Dallas Go” water billing system has sparked widespread frustration, overwhelming the city’s 311 lines with 35-minute wait times due to confusing account features, unexpected convenience fees, and massive billing errors.
Kurt: The situation does seem a bit odd, doesn’t it? How often is a first-round pick seemingly overlooked? But because the fanfare surrounding Downs has been so overwhelming, Lawrence has sort of gone about his business under the radar.
We fully expect the former to step in at safety and be an impact player. Of course, he will. But what about the latter?
Well, Lawrence indeed should be a starter in 2026 as well. In today’s NFL, teams don’t use that kind of draft capital on players they hope to develop. They are looking for studs who can make their presence known right away despite their lack of professional experience. Meaning, the Cowboys want, or more importantly need, the Central Florida product to contribute from the get-go.
What will be interesting to see at training camp is whether Lawrence will be lining up on the edge when the first-teamers take the field. On our Hangin’ With the Boys podcast, Nate Newton has repeatedly said that first-round picks need to get first-team reps immediately. None of this ramping up or giving courtesy to the veterans. You drafted him in the first round, you expect him to play like a first-rounder, so the more reps he gets in practice, the better.
Regardless, he may be in the perfect situation. Most of the pressure that comes with that draft status will likely fall on the shoulders of Downs, which will allow Lawrence to keep doing his thing without the added glare of the spotlight.
Still, he’s a first-round pick. He’s got to produce. Now.
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