The Dallas Mavericks needed answers after a rough stretch, and a wild night against the Houston Rockets delivered something else instead: a generational duel between Kevin Durant and Cooper Flagg. The matchup gave fans Durant at full command, the Rockets pushing every possession, and Flagg rising with a slam dunk that shifted the American Airline Arena’s energy. The Mavericks fought for control. But the Rockets always chased them back.

Kevin Durant entered the game fresh off his 31,000-point celebration, and he played like it. Now in his 18th NBA season, he scored 27 points on 11-of-20 shooting, kept every rotation honest, and forced the Mavericks to adjust across long stretches. Yet Anthony Davis outdueled him on the glass and in the paint, finishing with 29 points on 14-of-19 shooting and eight rebounds in 30 minutes, tilting the battle inside. The game stayed tight at halftime at 57–57. Then the Mavericks exploded in the third, building a 17-point lead behind sharper spacing and cleaner defensive stands.

Mavericks, Durant’s praise, and Flagg’s rise

Cooper Flagg kept the Mavericks alive with his aggression, but one play stood out far more than anything in his box score. His drive, his elevation, the slam, a flash of what Dallas hopes becomes a foundation. And Durant noticed. “Just from watching his film he’s finally figuring it out… he can shoot the jump shot off the middy, he can shoot the 3, he can get to the rim. I love his game,” Durant said after the loss, offering the kind of praise that stamps a rising star.

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The Rockets tried to rally late, but the Mavericks held firm and closed out a needed win. Dallas climbed to 9–16, still 12th in the West but steadier after a chaotic stretch. The Rockets dropped to 15–6 but remains fourth, with the Los Angeles Clippers up next. The Mavericks draw the Brooklyn Nets.

If this is only the first chapter of Kevin Durant versus Cooper Flagg, how electric will their rematch be when the Rockets meet the Mavericks on Jan. 3?