The Mavericks were 3–1.
One final game left in the preseason.
No one expected them to come out of it with a winning record. Not with half the rotation in street clothes and Zoran Vukic—a ten-day contract—playing meaningful minutes. But Dallas had kept executing. Quietly. Efficiently. And Zoran had given them something most rookies didn't.
Control.
Their last opponent before the regular season? The Phoenix Suns.
Veteran roster. Real schemes. Real pressure.
Grayson Allen. Eric Gordon. Josh Okogie. Guys who loved going at players like Zoran—young, quiet, undrafted.
Jason Kidd didn't give him a speech this time.
Just a few words during walkthrough.
"They're gonna test you. Gordon especially."
Zoran nodded. "I know."
"Don't respond."
"I won't."
"Unless it's on the scoreboard."
That part didn't need to be said. Zoran already knew.
Zoran checked in with four minutes left in the second.
The Suns led 31–24.
His first defensive assignment was Eric Gordon.
Gordon jabbed twice, rose up from the elbow, and drained it.
Coming back down, he said just loud enough for Zoran to hear:"You ain't built for this, rookie."
Zoran didn't reply.
He just ran the offense.
Next play: horns action.
He slipped the screen, caught Gordon recovering late, and kissed a lefty floater off the glass.
31–26.
No stare. No reaction.
Just the scoreboard.
[SYSTEM UPDATE – Trigger Detected]→ Defender: Eric Gordon→ Trigger: Verbal provocation + iso attempt→ Temporary Trait: "Calculated Response"✓ Efficiency Boost: +11% (Defender-specific)✓ Defensive Lock-On: Engaged
Next trip down, Gordon tried again—shoulder fake into a spin.Zoran stayed low, hand up, no foul.
Miss.
Zoran tapped the rebound to Martin and sprinted.
Gordon trailed, a step slow.
Zoran cut through, caught the skip pass, finished reverse.
31–28.
Timeout, Suns.
Still no words. Just results.
By halftime, the Mavericks had taken the lead.
Zoran had:
→ 7 Points (3-4 FG)→ 2 Assists→ 1 Steal→ 0 Turnovers→ +9 Plus-Minus
Not eye-popping.
But winning basketball rarely was.
Second half.
Josh Okogie took over the defensive assignment.
More length. More speed.
Zoran adjusted.
Two off-ball cuts led to open space. He hit a midrange pull-up, then drilled a fade from the corner after slipping behind a ghost screen.
No wasted movement.
Just discipline.
[SYSTEM TRAIT UNLOCKED – "Independent Flow"]✓
Decision Ownership: 87%✓
Offensive Control: Maintained✓
Trait Stability: +✓ Scoring Tier II Sustained
Zoran didn't dominate the ball.
He shaped the game around him.
Final minutes, Gordon came back in.
Zoran didn't force the matchup.
But when the lane opened, he took it.
Stepback jumper. Net.
Hard drive. Pull-up. Elbow hit.
Gordon was subbed out with 1:10 left.
Didn't say a word this time.
FINAL STATS – ZORAN VUKIC→ 13 Points (6-8 FG)→ 3 Assists→ 1 Steal→ +12 Plus-Minus→ 16:34 Minutes
The Mavericks won 91–85.
They closed preseason 4–1.
No flash. No viral plays.
But the film didn't lie.
After the game, media chatter started trickling in.
"This Vukic kid isn't flashy, but he doesn't miss." "Dallas might've found something.'' "He's not a scorer, but he wins possessions."
Zoran didn't retweet.
Didn't like anything.
He just opened the system and reviewed the data.
[SESSION COMPLETE]✓
Trait: Independent Flow (Active)✓
Selective Strike II – Unlocked✓
Mental Load: Balanced✓
System Status: Synced✓
Team Net Differential with User: +17.8 per 100
This wasn't about making the roster anymore.
It was about earning minutes.
And he knew the real season was coming.