Dallas won the possession game—and moved to 2-0 in the Cup

What changed

Dallas beat Utah 112-100 Friday night, snapped a two-game losing streak and improved to 5-4 overall and 2-0 in NBA Cup West Group A. P.J. Washington scored 22 of his 26 points before halftime and made 6 of 10 three-pointers.

The score was tied at 57 at halftime and again at 70 midway through the third quarter. Cooper Flagg and Kyrie Irving then helped drive a 19-3 run, and Dallas won the quarter 32-19. Flagg finished with 21 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists and three steals; Irving scored 12 of his 14 points after halftime.

The deeper reason Dallas could survive its uneven shooting was possession control. The Mavericks collected 21 offensive rebounds, forced 21 Utah turnovers and held a 44-19 bench-scoring advantage. Morez Johnson Jr. supplied 10 offensive rebounds by himself.

Interpretation: this was a better response than a perfect performance. Utah still made 15 threes and led by eight in the second quarter, but Dallas kept earning extra chances until its defense and primary creators took over. The next Cup question is whether that physicality travels to Denver and Phoenix.

Updated November 7, 2026

Updated Nov. 7: Dallas beat Utah 112-100, moved to 2-0 in NBA Cup group play and turned the game with a 32-19 third quarter.