Oct 21, 2026 3:38 PM
Kyrie Irving returns from a long injury layoff to lead Dallas alongside Cooper Flagg, facing off against former teammate Kevin Durant in a high-stakes divisional showdown.
Kyrie Irving has been patient in waiting for his big chance to play in a "real game.''
That chance is here.
Irving, the Dallas Mavs star who has been in 18 months of recovery due to the repairing of his left ACL, will on Wednesday team up for the first time with Cooper Flagg. ...
And will for what seems like the millionth time go up against Kevin Durant, now of the Rockets.
“I haven’t talked to Kai about his rehab, (but) I spoke to him the other day,” stated Durant recently. “His work ethic is second to none. His approach to the game, mentally, is second to none."
“He’s a savant. When you think about basketball, you think about him. So I’m looking forward to seeing him back on the floor.”
The Mavs are trying to rebound from a 26-win season in 2025-26, a result greatly impacted by the absence of the nine-time All-Star guard Irving.
The Rockets are, of course, an obstacle here and an enemy here. But even KD is looking forward to Kai's return.
“I know him as a human being,” said Durant. “I’m excited for him, man — so happy that he’s back and healthy. I don’t want to see anybody in our game be away from the game that long, especially the ones who love it as much as (Irving). So I can’t wait to see him out there next game.”
Irving's response to the love from Durant?
He responded via. social media, “Shout-out to my brother, KD. All respect. It’s mutual. I love you brother. I wish I could steal a few things from you as well. But at the same time, I love competing against you and showing you what I’ve got. I know the feeling is mutual, so all respect.”
Mavs fans are hoping there is "love'' between Irving and Flagg as they work to build chemistry.
“Whenever we get to share the court for the first time — it’s been an incredible training camp to play together and kind of figure it out on the fly,” said Flagg. “Just sharing the court with someone like him and his gravity and the way he can manipulate the game is obviously going to make my life a lot easier. It’s going to be great.”
We hope the Mavericks will be cashing in on that.
WHO: Dallas Mavericks (0-0) at Houston Rockets (0-0)
WHEN: Wednesday, Oct. 21, 7:30 p.m.
WHERE: Toyota Center, Houston
TV: WFAA, KFAA-29, MavsTV+
RADIO: 105.3 The Fan, 99.1 FM Zona MX (Spanish)
ODDS: Rockets by 8.5 points.
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