Ryan Nembhard set a Mavericks franchise record with 23 assists as Dallas closed the 2025-26 season with a 149-128 win over the Chicago Bulls.
DALLAS — Ryan Nembhard dished out 23 assists Sunday night, setting a franchise record for most in a regulation-length game, as the Dallas Mavericks closed the 2025-26 season with a 149-128 victory over the Chicago Bulls at a sellout American Airlines Center.
The 149 points tied for the most the Mavericks have scored in a regulation game in franchise history, and the 80-point first half marked the 10th time in franchise history Dallas has reached that threshold in a single half.
Nembhard, who finished with 15 points, 9 rebounds and 23 assists, tied Jamaal Tinsley for the fourth-most assists by a rookie in a single game in NBA history. Only Nate McMillan, Ernie DiGregorio and Ramon Sessions have surpassed that mark as rookies. Nembhard also set the franchise record for assists by a rookie in a game, surpassing the 17 Jason Kidd recorded at Golden State on March 13, 1995.
Cooper Flagg exited in the second quarter with a left ankle sprain but finished with 10 points, 4 rebounds and 1 assist in 9 minutes. It was a fitting end to a historic rookie campaign. Flagg closed the season having led the Mavericks in points (1,473), rebounds (466), assists (316) and steals (84), becoming the first rookie to lead his team in all four categories since Michael Jordan.
John Poulakidas delivered a career-high 28 points off the bench, going 9-of-18 from the field and 8-of-16 from 3-point range. He became just the fifth player in franchise history to record 8 or more 3-pointers off the bench, joining Rodrigue Beaubois, Trey Burke, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Khris Middleton.
Moussa Cisse posted 17 points and a career-high 20 rebounds to go with 2 blocks and 2 steals, producing the first 15-point, 20-rebound game by a rookie in franchise history. He joined Roy Tarpley as the only rookies in team history to reach 20 rebounds in a game, and became the first rookie to compile 15 points, 20 rebounds, 2 blocks and 2 steals since DeJuan Blair accomplished it at Oklahoma City on Jan. 13, 2010.
Klay Thompson went 4-of-9 from deep to finish the season with 202 3-pointers, reaching 200 for the 11th time in his career. That places him second in NBA history in such seasons behind Stephen Curry's 12. Thompson's first 3-pointer of the night also moved him to 100th on the NBA's all-time scoring list at 17,346 career points, passing Kevin McHale.
AJ Johnson matched a career high with 20 points on 6-of-12 shooting, going 8-of-9 from the free throw line. Tyler Smith also tied his career high with 20 points. Dallas shot 52.0 percent from the field and went 22-of-49 from 3-point range, the most 3-pointers the franchise has made in a game since the 2023-24 season.
The Mavericks scored 45 points in the first quarter, their highest-scoring period of the season, and led by as many as 34. Dallas finished the night with 57 rebounds, tied for the second-most it has pulled down in any game this season.
Chicago's Rob Dillingham led the Bulls with 25 points and 5 assists. Yuki Kawamura added 14 points on 5-of-10 shooting off the bench as Chicago outscored Dallas 40-30 in the fourth quarter, with the outcome long decided.
The Mavericks finished the season 26-56. The Bulls ended at 31-51.