ORLANDO, Florida — Cooper Flagg recorded his fourth block of an intense game by swatting a layup attempt by Wendell Carter Jr., igniting a fast break that led to the Mavericks rookie finishing a double clutch layup as he was fouled by the Orlando Magic center.
The two-way sequence was the ultimate display of Flagg’s versatility on both ends of the floor and Flagg’s bonus free throw gave the Mavericks a four-point lead with 37.3 seconds left.
However, that advantage didn’t last long because Jalen Suggs drilled a 3-pointer five seconds later.
Flagg tried to counter the clutch basket with one of his own, a midrange jumper over former TCU guard Desmond Bane, but missed and Carter was the beneficiary of an easy dunk on the other end with 1.4 seconds left, leading to the Mavericks’ fifth straight loss — a 115-114 decision at Kia Center.
Flagg began his pregame routine Thursday at approximately 4:45 p.m. ET as the Star Spangled Banner was rehearsed.
The Mavericks rookie is used to hearing fans shout his last name during the national anthem at American Airlines Center, but not on the road. While the song was officially performed minutes before tip-off, a fan wearing his jersey sitting directly behind the team’s bench did the honor of yelling “Flagg!” to disrupt the silence among the crowd.
It was the most obvious sign that Flagg was officially back in the Mavericks’ starting lineup after an eight-game absence because of a left midfoot sprain.
Flagg has etched his name in the NBA’s history books several times this season. It didn’t take long for him to do so again. With his first basket at the 9:49 mark of the first quarter, Flagg became the second-youngest player [19 years, 74 days] in league history to reach 1,000 points, only behind LeBron James [19 years, 41 days].
The accomplishment also made the 19-year-old rising star the ninth player in NBA history to record 1,000 points, 300 rebounds and 20 assists in his first 50 games, according to ESPN. Since the 1976-77 merger, only Luka Doncic and Michael Jordan have achieved the feat.
While Flagg had a restriction set at a maximum of 25 minutes, he played 25:49 and finished with 18 points, five rebounds, six assists and a career-high four blocks. It was his first game since he injured his left foot during the Mavericks’ loss to the Suns in Phoenix on Feb. 10. After a four-week absence, there was natural rust for Flagg, who missed eight of his first 12 shots.
Overall, he made 7 of 22 from the field.
Despite the lack of live game reps, Flagg provided a spark and managed to find a way to be effective in several ways. He did a little of everything Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said the team missed during his absence of nearly a month.
“We all know he’s a really good basketball player and the things that he can do,” Kidd said. “He can run the offense. He can set the tone for his teammates, finding them. Also, he can score both left or right and I thought he was starting to shoot the 3 really well before the injury.“
Flagg returned to the starting point guard position with Brandon Williams in street clothes with a quad contusion. On the Mavericks’ first possession, he drew two defenders and found Khris Middleton in the corner for the game’s opening points. He also found Daniel Gafford for a rare alley-oop in the second quarter. The big man had a double-double of 12 points and 13 rebounds.
The shift with Flagg’s return, along with the return of Klay Thompson and Naji Marshall, was apparent. Dallas scored 62 points in the first half on Sunday, which eclipsed the 49 first-half points they scored on Sunday against Oklahoma City and the 48 they mustered on Tuesday in Charlotte.
Thompson led the Mavericks in his first game back from a right adductor contusion and finished with 24 points with a season-high seven 3-pointers, while Khris Middleton made several clutch shots and finished with 19 points and seven assists. P.J. Washington added 18 points and five rebounds.
Flagg had just two turnovers on Thursday, back-to-back giveaways in the third quarter, but he didn’t let that deter him. He knocked down his lone triple of the game immediately following those mental miscues. It was a breath of fresh air after missing his last three triples, evident by the prayer hands he threw to the sky on his way back to the defensive end of the court.
Shortly after that, Flagg picked off a pass by Paolo Banchero, who also attended Duke, and threw down a two-handed slam. It was two of 14 fast break points for Dallas, an emphasis of how fast Kidd wanted to play.
“Being able to play a lot faster with Coop,“ Kidd added. ”Being able to rebound and go and then also the throw-aheads to him. With him playing in space, it just causes a problem.”
Flagg’s most impressive defensive play was an emphatic block on former TCU guard Desmond Bane, which caused him to erupt with a passionate scream.
Magic coach Jamahl Mosley witnessed Flagg’s potential as a 17-year-old during the summer of 2024. Mosley was an assistant coach on Team USA and Flagg scrimmaged against the Olympic roster as a member of the Select Team.
“Just right away, you could see his level of confidence that he had in himself and his game because of the work he’s put in,” Mosley said. “He was very curious about the things that it took to be successful…
“It was the ability to ask the right questions to try to get things right. I think that’s the mark of a very great player. They’re always curious about what it takes to be your best, but also the level of confidence you have to keep no matter who you’re playing, night in and night out.”
The “who” on the Mavericks’ schedule for Friday night is significant for several reasons since the Boston Celtics will host Flagg in his first game at TD Garden. The game will serve as Flagg’s unofficial homecoming scene he grew up in Newport, Maine as a Celtics fan. Jayson Tatum is also expected to make his season debut for Boston after missing nearly 10 months with a right Achilles tear.
It’s expected to be one of the most anticipated games of the year for both fanbases, but for now, the Mavericks are just thankful to have Flagg back on the floor.
Story by Mike Curtis, the Dallas Morning News