Mavericks
The Mavericks got their bounce-back win. Now they’ll wait to find out what it cost them.
Cooper Flagg left Friday’s 121-105 road victory over the Pacers after landing on his left shoulder following a hard foul from Aaron Nesmith near halftime. Flagg shot his free throws before heading to the locker room and was later ruled out, as Austin Veazey of Sports Illustrated detailed.
The play sparked a confrontation between Nesmith and Naji Marshall, with both receiving technical fouls.
Dallas led by 34 at halftime, quite a turnaround after trailing the Rockets by 32 at the break in its opener. But with Flagg out and Kyrie Irving eventually fouling out, finishing the job required some work.
Marshall and Max Christie helped keep Indiana from getting closer than 13, giving Dusty May his first NBA head coaching victory. The Mavericks host the Spurs on Saturday, with Flagg’s availability a concern.
Warriors
The Warriors had a 12-point lead with less than four minutes remaining in their home opener. Somehow, that still wasn’t enough.
Golden State missed its final nine field-goal attempts and was outscored 17-2 down the stretch of a 111-108 loss to the Grizzlies, per Joey Akeley of Sports Illustrated. A Brandin Podziemski turnover and late Draymond Green illegal screen didn’t help.
Stephen Curry finished with 24 points but didn’t score after returning with 5:18 left. Former Warriors guard Ty Jerome led Memphis with 28, while Cameron Boozer delivered 25 points, 13 rebounds, six assists and the go-ahead basket.
The schedule offers little sympathy. Golden State next visits the Suns, Nuggets and Timberwolves before hosting the Lakers. Curry said he “probably” won’t play Saturday in Phoenix.
Hornets
Charles Lee wasn’t about to argue with the boos.
The Hornets lost their home opener to the Hawks, 128-81, shooting 34 percent and committing 27 turnovers. That’s a fairly efficient way to exhaust the paying customers’ patience.
“If you hear boos, you got to be able to play better basketball,” Lee said, via Ashley Stroehlein of Sports Illustrated.
Lee pointed to Atlanta’s physical defense, Charlotte’s indecision and possessions that were simply too casual. He also rejected using the lineup as an excuse.
“We can’t make excuses for who was on the floor, who was off the floor,” he said. “I think that is just on us as a group to take a little bit more pride in every possession, value the ball.”
The Hornets host the Heat on Saturday. After losing by 47, there’s plenty to clean up.
Looking for the latest NBA Insider News & Rumors?
Be sure to follow Hoops Wire on TWITTER and FACEBOOK for breaking NBA News and Rumors for all 30 teams!
