• Mavericks star dazzles in return from ACL tear

• Irving scores 17 points in Dallas’s 132-115 win

• Dusty May hails nine-time All-Star as an ‘artist’

Kyrie Irving waited nearly 600 days for his return to the NBA. The Dallas Mavericks didn’t keep him waiting any longer for his welcome-back basket.

Irving scored a reverse layup on the game’s opening possession on Sunday night, setting the tone for a team-high 17 points in the Mavericks’ 132-115 pre-season win over the Houston Rockets in Macau.