MACAU — Cooper Flagg came off a screen and hit a mid-range jump shot with Amen Thompson draped over him. On the next possession, Flagg was running on the fast break alongside Naji Marshall before catching a lob from his Mavericks teammate.

The sequence showed the Mavericks’ ability to play in transition and Flagg’s new mid-range fadeaway. Mavericks legend Dirk Nowitzki made a career off his potent one-legged post fadeaway that’s been copied by a bevy of players such as Houston Rockets forward Kevin Durant.

Flagg made back-to-back mid-range fadeaways in the middle of the second quarter to add to his 19 points. But Flagg’s strong start to the preseason wasn’t enough in a Mavericks 135-117 loss against the Rockets in one of two games at the Venetian Arena in Macau, China.

“I’ve learned a lot from (Kevin Durant) just playing against him over the years, but just getting to your spots and playing at a slow pace,” said Flagg in response to a question about mid-range jump shots. “So that’s definitely something I’ve worked on the spots that I like to get to on the court.”

Prior to the game, Mavericks coach Dusty May announced that Kyrie Irving was out for the first game at the Venetian Arena. There was a lot of anticipation for Irving’s return to the court after not playing last season due to recovering from a torn ACL. There were a lot of fans throughout the arena wearing Irving’s NBA jerseys and signature shoes. He is expected to play against the Rockets on Sunday.

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