Cavaliers Aim To Bounce Back Vs. Cooper Flagg, Mavericks

The Cavaliers are coming off a loss. The Dallas Mavericks are coming off a win.

So prepare for a clash of the titans on Friday in Dallas. Or something like that.

The Cavs will try to get things pointed back in the right direction Friday night in Dallas after Wednesday’s 128-122 road loss to the Orlando Magic. They still sit at 40-26 and hold the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference playoff race, but the defensive end has been a bit of a concern lately.

That’s something coach Kenny Atkinson and company would like to see cleaned up quickly.

Dallas, meanwhile, is simply hoping to build off a rare bright moment. The Mavericks snapped an eight-game skid Thursday with a win over the Memphis Grizzlies, though the bigger storyline revolves around rookie forward Cooper Flagg.

And honestly, the kid has been impressive.

Flagg is averaging 20.1 points, 6.7 rebounds and 4.2 assists while flashing the all-around skill set that made him one of the most hyped prospects in years. He can score, he can pass, he rebounds, and he plays with a confidence that suggests the future in Dallas may be brighter than the standings indicate.

The Cavs, of course, are thinking about the present.

Led by Donovan Mitchell, James Harden and Evan Mobley, they sights set on the postseason — and maybe something bigger.

But first things first.

Take care of business against a struggling Mavericks team and move on to the next one. That, of course, would be Sunday in Cleveland against these very Mavericks.