Despite Cooper Flagg's historic 42 points, a late surge and overtime magic propelled the Jazz past the Mavericks in a thrilling upset.
SALT LAKE CITY — The history came easily for Cooper Flagg. The win did not. Flagg delivered a night for the record books Monday, pouring in a career-high 42 points, but the Dallas Mavericks let a late lead slip and fell 140-133 to the Utah Jazz in overtime at Delta Center.
Dallas dropped to 10-17 with just its second loss in the last seven games, while Utah improved to 10-15 after closing regulation on a late surge and dominating the extra period.
Flagg became the first 18-year-old in NBA history to score 40 points in a game and tied Mark Aguirre for the most points ever scored by a Mavericks rookie. He finished 13-of-27 from the field and 15-of-20 from the free-throw line, repeatedly carrying Dallas through a night defined by offense on both ends.
Yet the performance came with a familiar frustration.
Following the loss, Flagg emphasized that the milestone meant little without a win.
“It’s tough,” Flagg said. “I want to look at it [in] wins and losses. Obviously we didn’t win. It’s tough for me to want to be happy, but obviously it’s a success and we’re going to try to keep getting better from here.”
Dallas appeared positioned to escape with the win late in regulation after building an eight-point lead inside the final four minutes. Utah answered with a 13-5 run, forcing a dramatic finish.
Trailing 129-127 with 4.5 seconds left, Flagg went to the free-throw line. He made the first, then intentionally missed the second. Max Christie sliced into the paint for the offensive rebound and drew a foul, calmly converting both free throws to force overtime.
The momentum did not carry over.
Utah seized control immediately in the extra session behind Keyonte George and Lauri Markkanen. George scored the first five points of overtime, while Markkanen punished Dallas on the glass, converting two offensive rebounds into baskets that pushed the Jazz ahead 138-131 with 1:11 remaining. Utah outscored Dallas 11-4 in overtime to seal the win.
George led Utah with 37 points and six assists. Markkanen added 33 points and 16 rebounds, while Kyle Filipowski chipped in 25 points and nine boards. Taylor Hendricks and Cody Williams scored 11 points apiece, and Isaiah Collier added 10.
Dallas received significant support behind Flagg. P.J. Washington posted 25 points and 13 rebounds, Naji Marshall scored 15, Ryan Nembhard recorded 14 points and 11 assists, and Klay Thompson finished with 12.
The game unfolded as a full-blown shootout from the opening tip. Dallas shot 65.9% in the first half, while Utah countered at 54.3%, with both teams topping 70 points before halftime. Flagg and George traded baskets throughout the opening quarter, with Dallas edging ahead 43-37 after one behind 14 points from Flagg.
Despite Utah’s early burst — including a four-point play from George that briefly gave the Jazz control — Dallas steadied itself behind consecutive baskets from Moussa Cisse and a steady parade of free throws from Flagg to carry a 75-71 lead into the break.
Jason Kidd highlighted Marshall’s comfort operating in the paint as part of Dallas’ offensive flow.
“When you talk about being boring — simple,” Kidd said. “And I think he’s bought into that. You don’t have to hit a homerun every time. Understanding the great ones are boring because they’ve worked on a skill set over and over.”
The night also marked the return of center Daniel Gafford after a three-game absence due to right ankle injury management. Gafford played 13 minutes, finishing with two points and two rebounds on a minutes restriction.
Gafford acknowledged the balance between competitiveness and caution.
“I’m trying to fight through a lot of stuff,” Gafford said. “I’m staying on top of it trying to fight through pain, fight through discomfort, really just fight through everything right now.”
Dallas was without Anthony Davis, who sat out as a precaution due to a left calf contusion, and Brandon Williams, who was sidelined with right Achilles soreness. Their status remains uncertain entering Thursday’s home game against the Detroit Pistons.
For Flagg, the night reinforced both his rapid rise and his priorities.
“It’s cool,” he said, “but it would’ve been great to get a win. That’s what I’m more focused on.”