Missed shots and questionable calls derailed a late Mavericks surge, costing them a win against Houston despite Cooper Flagg's heroics.
HOUSTON — The Dallas Mavericks were right where they wanted to be late. Once again, they just couldn’t finish.
Despite another dominant night from Cooper Flagg and a furious rally in the final minutes, the Mavericks fell 111-107 to the Houston Rockets on Saturday night, undone by late execution, missed opportunities at the rim and a closing stretch that tilted Houston’s way.
Dallas erased a four-point deficit in the final two minutes behind Flagg and Naji Marshall, only to watch Houston deliver the final blows after yet another possession that left the Mavericks believing a whistle never came.
Amen Thompson led Houston with 21 points, nine assists and eight rebounds, orchestrating the Rockets’ offense and sealing the outcome with an alley-oop dunk that put Houston ahead by four with 1:54 remaining. Dallas answered with baskets from Flagg and Marshall to tie the game at 107 with 47 seconds left, but that would be the Mavericks’ final score.
Alperen Sengun drove past the defense for a go-ahead layup with 28.6 seconds remaining, and after Flagg missed a contested attempt in the lane on the other end, Tari Eason finished the game with a dunk that pushed the margin to four with 14.4 seconds left. Flagg’s final 3-point attempt rattled out, ending Dallas’ last chance.
Flagg finished with 34 points, 12 rebounds and five assists, backing up Thursday’s historic 49-point performance with his fifth 30-point game of the season. The 19-year-old became the first teenager in NBA history to post consecutive 30-point double-doubles, but his production again came in a losing effort.
Before the game, head coach Jason Kidd tempered expectations following Flagg’s record-setting night against Charlotte.
“We can’t expect Cooper to have 49 tonight,” Kidd said.
Flagg didn’t replicate history, but he kept Dallas alive throughout. The Mavericks trailed by as many as 11 in the fourth quarter before Klay Thompson knocked down consecutive 3-pointers to cut the deficit to eight. Moments later, Flagg scored all six points in a 6-2 burst that pulled Dallas within 103-97 with 3½ minutes remaining.
The frustration for Dallas centered on the final possessions. Kidd was visibly upset postgame over Flagg’s missed layup attempt with about 25 seconds left, believing contact warranted free throws.
“I saw a foul,” Kidd said. “It’s unacceptable. It’s a foul and he needs to be at the free throw line. Just being consistent — tonight the referees were not consistent.”
Flagg acknowledged contact but stopped short of blaming the outcome on officiating.
“I definitely felt some contact, but at the end of the day, the refs are the ones making the calls,” he said. “It is what it is.”
Dallas’ uphill climb was compounded by injuries. Brandon Williams, who scored all 13 of his points in the first quarter, exited in the second quarter with a right lower leg contusion after a collision and did not return. P.J. Washington later left with a head contusion, thinning an already stretched rotation.
“The one thing that’s been consistent is injuries,” Kidd said. “It’s next-man-up mentality, and the guys have responded.”
Houston placed six players in double figures, with Jabari Smith Jr. adding 19 points and Sengun recording 14 points and 14 rebounds. The Rockets overcame a poor shooting night by moving the ball efficiently, finishing with 33 assists and just six turnovers.
For Dallas, the loss marked a season-high tying fourth straight defeat after previously winning four in a row. It also followed a familiar script: late chances, narrow margins and a young roster learning painful lessons in close games.
“We’re learning,” Kidd said. “A lot of close games. We’ll be better as we go forward.”
The Mavericks return home to host Boston on Tuesday night, with Flagg carrying his best two-game stretch of the season back to Dallas — and still searching for the win to match it.