Rookie Cooper Flagg ignites a Christmas Day tradition as the Mavs challenge the Warriors.
The Dallas Mavericks are making a move up the NBA standings while being led by a rookie who is poised to start a "new tradition'' for Christmas.
The Mavs are now 12-19 after having won four of their last seven during a December that's included a pair of stunning wins over powerhouse Denver.
And today, they head west to take on the Golden State Warriors as part of a national-TV extravaganza on Christmas Day.
The Mavs-Warriors matchup is the third of a five-game slate ... all on ABC, with tipoff scheduled for 4 p.m.
The featured player for Dallas is rookie phenom Cooper Flagg, who said this week that his family tradition growing up was to watch the NBA on Christmas.
“The tradition started (while growing up),” Flagg said. “And it’s pretty cool we get to go out there. We always had whatever games were on. We were always watching. It was cool.”
Also cool is the way Flagg has meshed with Anthony Davis, who from his days with the Lakers has five Christmas Day appearances.
A.D.'s average on Christmas is 24.2 points, 8.8 rebounds and 3.2 assists. In 2023, he put up a game of 40 points and 13 rebounds.
And the combo now in Dallas? In a recent 131-130 upset of the Nuggets, Davis and Flagg combined for 64 points, 18 rebounds and 13 assists.
Said Dallas coach Jason Kidd: “The more they’re on the floor, it’s only going to get better with that chemistry.''
This month, the No. 1 overall pick Flagg is averaging 24.1 points in 10 games, with 6.2 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game while shooting 52.7 percent from the field. ... all of which suggests he might be playing on Christmas many times in the future.
A new tradition.
The 15-15 Warriors - eight-point favorites today - are a Christmas fixture due to the brilliance of Steph Curry, who has played in 10 Christmas Day games. Interestingly, though, he's had his struggles on Christmas in his career, averaging only 17.6 points, 6.4 assists on Dec. 25.