Cooper Flagg’s 33 points push Mavericks past Nuggets 131-130 in Dallas
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Rookie forward Cooper Flagg celebrated his 19th birthday week with a season-best long-range display, scoring 33 points on 14-of-21 shooting to guide the Dallas Mavericks to a 131-130 victory over the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday night at American Airlines Center.
Flagg knocked down a season-high four three-pointers and is 5-for-7 from deep in the two games since turning 19 on Sunday. Before the birthday, he had connected on just 23.4% of his threes across 28 games.
The teenager opened the contest by sinking his first seven attempts. After burying a deep three to finish that run, he pointed toward the Mavericks’ bench and stuck out his tongue. “Just having fun,” Flagg said. “I think I’m at my best when I’m playing free and having fun.”
Nikola Jokić, who logged 29 points and 14 assists, praised Flagg’s composure after Denver erased an 18-point deficit. “He doesn’t feel like he’s so young out there,” the three-time MVP said. “He looked really mature.” Jokić set up Peyton Watson for a potential game-winning corner three at the buzzer, but the shot rimmed out.
Flagg closed with nine rebounds and nine assists, joining Luka Dončić and Jason Kidd as the only Mavericks rookies to record at least 33-9-9 in a game. Teammate Anthony Davis (31 points, nine rebounds) laughed when informed of Flagg’s line: “He’s not good enough to get a triple-double, I guess,” Davis joked. “But that’s a hell of a stat line, especially with a win.”
Tied for fourth in the NBA with 68 clutch points this season, Flagg delivered again down the stretch. His final three put Dallas ahead 126-121 with 3:17 left. On the next trip, he drove for a floater to restore a five-point edge, then found Naji Marshall in the opposite corner for an open three as Denver crowded the paint.
Flagg, shifted back to his natural forward spot after starting seven games at point guard, cited confidence in his shooting routine. “Trust the work, trust the reps,” he said. The rookie experienced a similar turnaround at Duke, where his three-point percentage jumped from 25.0% to 45.1% immediately after his 18th birthday.
Nuggets interim coach David Adelman tipped his cap after Flagg’s performance. “Some of the threes were late-clock and heavily contested. He still made tough shots in key moments. He’s very impressive,” Adelman said.
Source: ESPN
