Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving came off a ball screen set by Morez Johnson Jr. and drove toward the rim, drawing the attention of all five Atlanta Hawks defenders.

Irving’s gravity drew two Hawks defenders toward him, resulting in a foul by one of them. The veteran guard’s ability to attract multiple defenders created opportunities for his teammates while helping him get to the free throw line.

Late in the second quarter, with All-Defensive guard Dyson Daniels defending him, Irving rose up and knocked down a 3-pointer that energized the American Airlines Center.

Irving finished with 18 points and five assists on 6-of-12 shooting in a 135-111 loss to the Hawks on Friday night. He knocked down five 3-pointers, but the 10-time All-Star, who is a career 91.6% free throw shooter, made just one of four attempts from the line in his second game back after missing the 2025-26 season with a torn ACL.

“Just to see Kyrie back competing like he was, I thought he made a lot of really good passes,” Mavericks coach Dusty May said. “I thought he trusted his teammates and over time that’s a recipe for success.”

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