By admin 
MACAO, China – When last we saw Kyrie Irving in a game, he was hobbled on one leg, gritting his teeth, in tears, as he knocked down two free throws in a deathly silent American Airlines Center.
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Nineteen months and eight days later, halfway around the world from Dallas, Irving made his long-awaited return against Houston in Macao on Sunday night, scoring on a reverse layup 14 seconds into the game.
So loud was The Venetian Arena sellout crowd’s eruption that it perhaps could be heard in the neighboring casino, if not out on the Cotai Strip. Back in Dallas it was 5:12 a.m., but perhaps there were yelps there, too.
Irving’s opening statement in Dallas’ 132-115 NBA China Game preseason victory foreshadowed his 17-point, three-assist, two-rebound, 21-minute performance that emphatically declared he’s indeed back from that March 3, 2025, ACL tear.
“I saw that baseline open up a bit and just felt good to get that out of the way,” he said. “I was imagining how it was gonna go, dreaming about how it was gonna go.”
With that emotional hurdle cleared, it was on to the night’s other long-anticipated subplot, Irving’s first pairing with reigning Rookie of the Year Cooper Flagg.
That, too, went promisingly, with Flagg contributing 14 points and seven assists, including a full-court pass to a streaking Irving for a layup.
This, however, was just a brief preview, the second of two NBA China Games against the Rockets here in three days. That didn’t stop one reporter, however, from asking Irving to compare his potential with Flagg with the years Irving had with LeBron James in Cleveland and Kevin Durant in Brooklyn.
“They’re on their own separate categories and trajectories,” Irving said. “I will say this: I think Coop falls in line with having that competitive nature at a very young age.
“To be able to lead a team, to be able to be on a great team … and I love that he’s a two-way player. I love that he cares about using his voice as he’s growing into year two.”
The object, as the Mavericks return from a whirlwind six days here in the Las Vegas of China to prepare for the regular season, is for Irving and Flagg to make life on the court easier for one another.
That, in turn, will make easier Dusty May’s first season as an NBA coach. Before Sunday’s game, May noted that many players who return from long injury absences don’t play well in their first game back. Irving, 34, proved to be an exception. As usual.
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“I’ve said it from the first time I watched him in a workout: He’s an artist,” May said. “He’s a jazz musician – just to see the way he thinks a game, manipulates a game.”
Two nights after losing to the Rockets 135-117, the Mavericks’ collective body language was noticeably buoyant with Irving on the court.
He looked fast as ever. Fearless in the paint as always. Showed the same penchant for electrifying the crowd, and teammates.
Late in the first quarter, he made a 25-footer to beat the shot clock. Late in the second quarter, he smoothly sank a left-hand floater in the lane. His 27-footer in the third quarter gave Dallas a 64-60 lead. Neither Irving, nor Flagg, played in the fourth quarter.
“God is truly the greatest,” Irving said. “Just being able to perform at a high level, that felt amazing. I just humbled myself, but also was just being aggressive and trying to look like myself again.”
Since training camp began Sept. 26, the Mavericks have noted how great Irving looked in scrimmages.
“If I didn’t know that he missed last year,” May said, “I wouldn’t be able to tell based on how he’s worked in preseason camp.”
The Mavericks decided before this trip that Irving would play only one of the two China Games. That would seemingly indicate he’ll play in only one of Dallas’ last two preseason games, both of them at home, Thursday against New Orleans and Saturday vs. Atlanta.
When Irving does play in AAC, it promises to be another emotional return.
“I want to give a huge shout-out to my MFFLs because we’ve been very patient, and they’ve been very patient with me,” Irving said.
“I’m looking forward to the opportunity, but it’s going to be a process. I’m not taking any of these moments for granted. I want to hear them yell. I want to hear them scream our names. I want to hear them get excited again about what Dallas Mavericks basketball is all about.”
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This story was originally published October 11, 2026 at 1:37 PM.