As the Dallas Mavericks opened up their 2026-27 campaign Wednesday, Duke fans got to see their first look at the duo of Cooper Flagg and Kyrie Irving during the regular season. Unfortunately for Dallas, things didn't start off too well. The Mavericks scored 38 points in the first half, the same amount that their opponent, the Houston Rockets, scored in the second quarter alone.

While the game was never really in reach after halftime, Dallas made a minor comeback, eventually falling to Houston 128-110.

In his long-awaited return from an ACL injury, Kyrie Irving finished with 15 points on 6-for-9 shooting to go along with four rebounds, two assists and one steal. As for Flagg, he proved himself as a force to be reckoned with this season, tallying 32 points, five rebounds, two assists, three steals and one block.

In regard to another Duke alum, Zion Williamson, he had a solid season opener, finishing with 22 points, three rebounds, three assists and three steals in New Orleans' tight three-point loss to the Indiana Pacers.