Hometown hero Cooper Flagg dazzles at TD Garden, but the Mavericks' struggles continue with a sixth straight loss against the Celtics.
BOSTON — Cooper Flagg came home Friday night. The result, unfortunately, was not what he was hoping for.
The Dallas Mavericks rookie played his first NBA game at TD Garden — the arena he visited as a kid growing up in Newport, Maine — and finished with 16 points, eight rebounds and six assists, but the Mavericks fell to the Boston Celtics, 120-100, extending their losing streak to six games and dropping the team to 21-42 on the season.
Flagg, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, drew a rousing ovation from the sold-out Boston crowd during pregame introductions — an uncommon reception for a road player at TD Garden. Fans in the arena wore his jerseys from Montverde Academy, Duke, and his current No. 32 with Dallas. A large contingent made the drive down from Maine to be there.
"It meant a lot," Flagg said. "I tried to take a moment to take a deep breath and take it all in. It's a dream come true just being out there on that court competing and playing at a high level. It was really special."
Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said he had never witnessed anything like it.
"I've never heard a road player get a cheer like that, especially here in Boston," Kidd said. "They tend to go the other way. But that shows the appreciation they have for Coop and who he is today and who he can become as his career moves forward."
The night carried added weight for Flagg because it marked his first time sharing a court with Jayson Tatum, who made his season debut after missing 298 days with a ruptured right Achilles tendon. Flagg attended Tatum's basketball camp as a child, followed him to Duke and has maintained a mentorship with him since entering the league. The two embraced at center court when the final buzzer sounded.
"It's incredible," Flagg said. "There's so many levels to it. He's somebody I idolized growing up and watched him go through the ranks. Watched him at Duke, and then I followed a similar path playing for Coach Scheyer. Seeing him come into the league and then being able to share the court with him was surreal."
Tatum told Flagg to keep going after the game. Flagg said the advice has been consistent throughout their relationship.
"He's been a mentor to me through my journey from Duke to now," Flagg said. "I told him it's incredible what he's been able to do and how quickly he came back from the injury."
The shooting was a struggle for the second straight night. Flagg went 7-for-23 from the field, continuing a rough stretch since returning from a left midfoot sprain that kept him out eight games. The Mavericks were briefly alarmed in the first quarter when he appeared to reaggravate the injury and was pulled for evaluation. He returned in the second quarter and said afterward that his foot was sore and tender but manageable.
"It was a little awkward," Flagg said. "It was a little sore, but it was something I could play through. It was a little tender, but nothing I couldn't deal with."
Flagg said he is not concerned about the shooting slump. He was producing historic performances practically on a nightly basis before the injury and is confident he'll find that rhythm once again soon.
"I felt like I was in a great rhythm before the injury," he said. "The shots just haven't been falling. But I feel good about the looks I'm getting. I'm getting to my spots and taking the shots I want. It's about getting my rhythm and touch back, and I'm not worried about it."
Kidd said Flagg's aggressiveness and composure in a charged environment spoke for itself. There isn't a stage that Kidd is ever concerned that Flagg won't be able to handle.
"This young man handles the big stage like no one I've seen," Kidd said. "His shooting percentage wasn't great, but he was aggressive. He had some good looks that didn't go down, and that happens whether you're in Boston or in Dallas."
Flagg acknowledged the team's second-half struggles and put some of the blame on himself, saying Dallas got disorganized down the stretch.
"Part of it is learning each other and part of it is on me — I wasn't good enough getting us set up," he said. "We've just got to do a better job getting to the things we want to run."
Teammate Naji Marshall offered a perspective on what Flagg's homecoming represented beyond basketball.
"Not many players are from where he's from and get to where he is," Marshall said. "It's cool to see all his people supporting him. I hope he continues to inspire them and remember where he's from."
Flagg said he intends to keep coming back as a Maverick, even though some Celtics fans are already counting down the days until the 19-year-old is a future free agent.
"I love being a Maverick," he said. "That's home, and I don't want anything else. It's going to be really fun throughout my career to keep coming back here and play in front of this crowd."
Dallas continues its six-game road trip with a stop in Toronto before heading to Atlanta and Memphis.