Cooper Flagg delivers a career-high 29 points, orchestrating a thrilling late rally that snatched victory from the Pelicans' grasp.
DALLAS — Cooper Flagg wasn’t interested in allowing the Dallas Mavericks to relive one of the more embarrassing losses of their season. The rookie forward delivered the most commanding performance of his young career Friday night, scoring 29 points and orchestrating the final minute of a 118–115 win over the New Orleans Pelicans that required every bit of poise Dallas could muster.
For most of the night, Dallas spent long stretches chasing the game. New Orleans blitzed the Mavericks early with five 3-pointers in the opening minutes and rode that shooting burst to a 34–25 first-quarter lead. The Pelicans widened the gap to 63–49 by halftime, helped by 21 first-half points from rookie guard Jeremiah Fears and the interior facilitation of fellow rookie Derik Queen, who finished with 20 points, 11 assists and seven rebounds.
Jason Kidd said the halftime discussion centered not on strategy but on settling down and recalibrating.
“He talked about understanding what we needed to clean up,” Kidd said. “We shared the ball better, connected better. Our group played hard for 48 minutes.”
Flagg said his own halftime message was even more direct.
“He told me I needed to be more aggressive driving to the rim,” Flagg said. “I was settling. Put pressure on the defense. That was his message.”
The Mavericks responded immediately when the third quarter opened. Max Christie hit two early threes on his way to 23 points and a 5-for-9 night from deep. Flagg followed with a controlled burst of rim attacks, scoring nine points in the period without missing a shot. The Mavericks’ renewed tempo and physicality cut the deficit to single digits, then levelled the game when Christie punctuated a 14-2 run with a corner three.
Cooper Flagg’s steady body language and offensive rhythm changed the tone of Dallas’ night, and Kidd said it was a reflection of traits unusual for someone his age.
“With Cooper, he’s done that for us all season — the big rebound, the big block, the big basket,” Kidd said. “He’s not afraid of getting the ball. He seems like he’s been there before, and for an 18-year-old, that’s pretty special.”
New Orleans continued to counter throughout the second half, leaning on Williamson’s bruising drives and Murphy’s free-throw scoring. Murphy finished with 25 points and went 10-for-10 from the line, while Williamson added 22 points, with nine of them coming in the fourth quarter as the Pelicans rebuilt a late lead.
Those final minutes briefly looked like another replay of Dallas’ close-game frustrations. Trailing 115–111 with 1:37 to go, Dallas had already missed two threes and committed turnovers on back-to-back possessions. But the Mavericks drew themselves back into the game with a resilient defensive stand, allowing Flagg to take control.
The rookie first delivered a contested bank shot over Fears to bring Dallas within two. That basket set up the possession that would decide the game. New Orleans sent help as Flagg backed down on the left block, but instead of forcing a tough look, he spotted Naji Marshall standing alone above the break and delivered a strike that set up the cleanest shot of the night — a 26-foot go-ahead three with 30.7 seconds remaining.
Flagg said the read reflected a principle the team has increasingly leaned on.
“The big word is trust,” Flagg said. “NA’s open — you throw the ball, make the right play.”
Marshall, who finished with nine points, five rebounds and five assists, had earlier drawn a technical foul that seemed to ignite a stretch of physical defensive stops. Kidd said the moment revealed Marshall’s competitive edge.
“He felt the T was needed to get the defense in gear,” Kidd said. “He’ll tell you that T helped us get three stops in a row. I love his competitiveness. He’s not afraid.”
The Pelicans still had a chance to regain control, but Dallas’ late-game defense held. P.J. Washington — who delivered 24 points, nine rebounds, three blocks and five 3-pointers — swatted Fears’ deep three-point try with 21 seconds left. Christie then absorbed an intentional foul and pushed the margin to three with two free throws.
Kidd said Washington’s workload, which included guarding every New Orleans starter at different points, underscored his value.
“He guarded some of their better players,” Kidd said. “He made big threes for us, big defensive plays. We ask a lot of him, and he delivered.”
Christie said the team’s ability to execute in those decisive moments came from how often they’ve had to experience similar situations this season.
“We’ve been in so many close games,” Christie said. “Tonight we were able to close one out. Coop did a great job. PJ played really well. We all contributed.”
The win required significant composure from Dallas’ youngest players, including Christie and Williams, who tied a career high with 12 assists and played all but 20 seconds of the fourth quarter. Dallas finished with 30 assists, matching its season high, and hit 16 threes after connecting on 16 in its previous outing.
One of the game’s most interesting matchups came between Flagg and Queen, former teammates at Montverde Academy. Queen controlled long stretches with his craft and patience, and his 11 assists marked a new career high. Flagg said the shared history made the night memorable.
“Derrik’s a special person, special personality,” Flagg said. “Those two years were special. That’s my brother.”
The two crossed paths again after the final buzzer, briefly exchanging words before walking toward their benches. Flagg said this meeting felt better than the one two weeks prior, when New Orleans beat Dallas by two at the same arena.
“It was definitely better this time,” Flagg said. “A lot of respect for DQ.”
The Mavericks improved to 5–12 overall and 1–2 in NBA Cup play. The Pelicans, who entered the night with the worst record in the league, fell to 2–14 and 0–3 in the Cup. It was their eighth consecutive loss under interim coach James Borrego.
Despite the record, Kidd said his team has shown an identity in recent weeks.
“They never feel they’re out of the game,” Kidd said. “Illness, injuries — they trust each other. We’ve been on the wrong side of close ones. Tonight, we stayed together.”
Flagg said grinding through losses has been a challenge he’s still learning to navigate.
“I haven’t lost this much before,” Flagg said. “It’s a big learning curve. But we’re right there. It feels good to close one out.”
Dallas hosts Memphis on Saturday.