DALLAS — The Dallas Mavericks closed their preseason schedule with a 135-111 defeat against the Atlanta Hawks at the American Airlines Center, finishing the exhibition slate with a 1-3 record. Atlanta built a 22-point halftime lead and extended it to as many as 29 points in the fourth quarter, dropping the Mavericks to 1-3 overall while the Hawks finished 4-1.
The finale offered head coach Dusty May a final look at his roster combination, featuring the second shared appearance of Kyrie Irving and Cooper Flagg. Marcus Sasser also made his Dallas debut after missing the opening three preseason games due to a left adductor injury, scoring five points in the first quarter.
Risacher Responds Against Former Team
Zaccharie Risacher experienced a stark halves turnaround against the franchise that drafted him first overall in 2024 before trading him to Dallas in July. Risacher scored 4 points on 2-of-6 shooting in the first half and sat at minus-23, but shot a perfect 6-of-6 after the break to finish with 18 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists.
Mavericks coach Dusty May noted that Risacher’s second-half aggression was a positive sign heading into the regular season. May stated via Yahoo Sports that while a starting role for the opener remains undecided, Risacher has secured a major rotation spot.
Irving and Flagg Show Chemistry
Kyrie Irving contributed 18 points on 6-of-12 shooting, including 5-of-7 from beyond the arc, adding 5 assists without a turnover in nearly 25 minutes of action. It marked Irving’s first appearance at the American Airlines Center since tearing his left ACL on March 3, 2025.
Cooper Flagg posted 26 points, 12 rebounds, and 4 assists, overcoming a slow 4-of-14 start from the field by hitting all 5 of his second-half free throws to finish 8-of-9 at the line. May emphasized that both players absorbed significant defensive attention, requiring secondary contributors to alleviate the offensive pressure.
Frontcourt Depth and Rebounding Concerns
Rookie Morez Johnson Jr. made his home debut after missing time with shin splints, contributing 4 points, 2 assists, and 7 rebounds in 14 minutes off the bench. Meanwhile, P.J. Washington struggled from the field, finishing with 8 points on 3-of-13 shooting despite early success from deep.
Rebounding and defensive control emerged as primary vulnerabilities. The Hawks outrebounded Dallas 55-42, securing a 17-12 edge on the offensive glass and dominating the third quarter 8-0 in second-chance boards as Nickeil Alexander-Walker scored 25 points for Atlanta.