Cooper Flagg and Kyrie Irving rebound from sluggish 1st half to help Mavs beat Jazz 112-100

DALLAS (AP) — Cooper Flagg scored 21 points and Kyrie Irving added 14 after a sluggish first half for both stars as the Dallas Mavericks beat the Utah Jazz 112-100 in an NBA Cup game Friday night.

P.J. Washington scored 22 of his season-high 26 points in a first half that ended in a 57-all tie, setting the stage for Flagg and Irving to take over after the break.

Flagg scored 17 in the second half, while Irving had all but two of his points after halftime after starting 1 of 11 from the field. While Flagg's scoring lagged before the break, he had six rebounds and assists in the first half before finishing with 10 and seven, respectively.

Lauri Markkanen scored 24 points and rookie Darryn Peterson had 21 for the Jazz, who lost their seventh straight game to drop to 1-8.

Flagg and Irving scored 21 of the points on a 22-10 run that turned a one-point Dallas deficit into an 81-70 lead late in the third quarter. Flagg had 13 points and Irving eight.

The Mavericks kept the run going after Irving went to the bench.

Morez Johnson Jr. had a one-handed, alley-oop dunk to clinch the 20-year-old rookie's first double-double, and the Dallas lead reached 16 before Utah's Josh Okogie beat the third-quarter buzzer with a 3-pointer. Johnson tied his season best of 13 points and had 17 rebounds.

Washington was 5 of 6 from 3-point range and made all five of his free throws in the first half. His sixth and final 3 helped Dallas maintain a double-digit lead throughout the fourth quarter.

Dallas' Santi Aldama had eight points and nine rebounds in his first game since Feb. 4 last season with Memphis. The 7-footer was part of a six-team trade in the summer. Aldama had right knee surgery in March.

Jazz: At Minnesota on Sunday.

Mavericks: Host Brooklyn on Sunday.

See AP’s full NBA coverage here

Dallas Mavericks' Morez Johnson Jr. (14) and Santi Aldama (34) celebrate during the second half of an NBA Cup basketball game against the Utah Jazz in Dallas, Friday, Nov. 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen (23) shoots as Dallas Mavericks' Morez Johnson Jr. (14) defends during the second half of an NBA Cup basketball game in Dallas, Friday, Nov. 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Utah Jazz center Jaxson Hayes (11) celebrates his dunk between Dallas Mavericks' Zaccharie Risacher (10) and Morez Johnson Jr., right, during the first half of an NBA Cup basketball game in Dallas, Friday, Nov. 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Dallas Mavericks' Kyrie Irving (11) shoots over Utah Jazz's Keyonte George (3) during the first half of an NBA Cup basketball game in Dallas, Friday, Nov. 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg (32) drives to the basket as Utah Jazz guard Keyonte George (3) defends during the first half of an NBA Cup basketball game in Dallas, Friday, Nov. 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Dallas Mavericks forward Daniel Gafford dunks over Utah Jazz's Lauri Markkanen during the first half of an NBA Cup basketball game in Dallas, Friday, Nov. 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Dallas Mavericks' Cooper Flagg (32) and Daniel Gafford (21) celebrate during the first half of an NBA Cup basketball game against the Utah Jazz in Dallas, Friday, Nov. 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Daryl Mitchell made a half century and shared a 59-run partnership with Mitchell Santner Saturday in an act of resistance before New Zealand was dismissed for 134 in 41 overs, batting first in the second one-day cricket international against India.

Mitchell was out for 55 and Santner for 31 as New Zealand again failed to produce a challenging total against a concerted India attack. Henry Nicholls (11) was the only other New Zealand batter apart from Santner and Mitchell to reach double figures.

Gurnoor Brar produced difficult bounce and took 4-30 from 10 overs while Auqib Nabi struck twice early and finished with 2-31. Anshul Kamboj and spinner Axar Patel, bowling through the middle of the innings, took two wickets each.

India captain Shubman Gill won an influential toss, his sixth in seven matches across the T20 and ODI series, and couldn't hide his delight at being able to send New Zealand in on a pitch which had sweated under the covers for two days.

Asked what he intended do after winning the toss, Gill grinned and said: “Bowl. No surprises there.” His New Zealand counterpart, Mitchell Santner, looked dejected.

The toss was delayed by an hour because of a damp outfield and the match was reduced to 47 overs per side.

Gill has called tails in six matches and won the toss every time. The only time he called incorrectly was when he changed to heads.

The pitch was a little moist and tended to hold up early on. Arshdeep Patel took no wicket for four runs off his first four overs.

Later, he found sharper and more threatening bounce as New Zealand batters again succumbed to the lure of the pull shot. Three New Zealand top-order batters were out pulling in the first match at Auckland on Wednesday which India won by five wickets after bowling out New Zealand for 185.

New Zealand started poorly, losing three wickets inside the first nine overs.

Tim Seifert was out without scoring in the second over, popping a ball that held up sharply to Anshul Kamboj at midwicket from the bowling of Nabi. Nabi also removed Will Young who was cramped trying to defend a short ball on a fourth stump line, edging a catch to K.L. Rahul.

At the end of the 10-over power play, New Zealand was 29-5 and had hit only three fours and a six. New Zealand hit only two more boundaries between the 10th and 20th overs, after which it was 55-3.

Mitchell was dropped by Gill off Kamboj when he was 21 but subsequently battled through to his half century from 97 balls with five fours and two sixes.

He was out soon after, slicing a ball from Axar Patel to Kamboj in the deep. Santner followed quickly, caught behind by Rahul off a quick ball from Brar.

See AP’s full cricket coverage here

India's Auqib Nabi celebrates the wicket of New Zealand player Tim Seifert during Game 2 of the one day international cricket between New Zealand and India, Saturday, Nov. 7, 2026, in Wellington, New Zealand. Chris Symes/Photosport via AP)

India's Gurnoor Brar bowls during Game 2 of the one day international cricket between New Zealand and India, Saturday, Nov. 7, 2026, in Wellington, New Zealand. Chris Symes/Photosport via AP)

New Zealand's Daryl Mitchell bats during Game 2 of the one day international cricket between New Zealand and India, Saturday, Nov. 7, 2026, in Wellington, New Zealand. Chris Symes/Photosport via AP)

New Zealand's Daryl Mitchell gestures during Game 2 of the one day international cricket between New Zealand and India, Saturday, Nov. 7, 2026, in Wellington, New Zealand. Chris Symes/Photosport via AP)

New Zealand's Mitchell Santner bats during Game 2 of the one day international cricket between New Zealand and India, Saturday, Nov. 7, 2026, in Wellington, New Zealand. Chris Symes/Photosport via AP)

India's Virat Kohli celebrates after scoring 50 runs during the one day cricket international between New Zealand and India in Auckland, New Zealand, Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2026. (Andrew Cornaga/Photosport via AP)

India's KL Rahul and New Zealand's Nathan Smith, right, shake hands following the one day cricket international between New Zealand and India in Auckland, New Zealand, Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2026. (Joshua Devenie/Photosport via AP)