Harden's epic triple-double silenced the home crowd, crushing Dallas's NBA Cup dreams in a thrilling double-overtime showdown.
DALLAS — The Dallas Mavericks pushed the Los Angeles Clippers through two exhausting overtimes, but a night meant to mark their first NBA Cup home game ended the same way too many have this month — with another loss.
The Mavericks dropped a 133-127 double-overtime heartbreaker Friday at American Airlines Center, a defeat that extended their losing streak to three and kept them winless against Western Conference opponents.
It was Dallas’ first overtime game of the season and just their second double-overtime game since 2016, a grind that reflected how depleted and stretched this group has become. The Mavericks also continued their surge in ball pressure, recording 11 steals, marking their second straight game with double-digit steals and their seventh such performance through 13 games — tied for the second-most in franchise history.
The night carried added weight. A trophy stood at midcourt before tipoff, a reminder of the stakes attached to the NBA Cup. But for Dallas, the symbolism proved fleeting. Once again, the result defined everything.
Dallas looked poised to reverse its slide when Cooper Flagg forced his way into the paint and tied the game at 123 with a late floater in regulation. At 18 years old, Flagg played a season-high 47 minutes and finished with 16 points on 8-of-13 shooting.
Afterward, Flagg described the marathon night with a levelheadedness that belied the workload.
“It’s a lot of game time,” Flagg said. “It’s a long game, a lot of plays, a lot of minutes. But I thought we battled well tonight. Obviously we didn’t get the result we wanted, but I think we’re showing more and more fight, and we’ll clean up some of the execution things.”
He explained how he approached late-game moments against All-NBA veterans.
“Just figuring out the spacing, attacking those guys, trying to make a play,” Flagg said.
And he acknowledged the turnover issues that defined the late possessions.
“Turnovers. That’s a big thing,” Flagg said. “Some late-game stupid turnovers. And then not getting great shots. We had a couple possessions in double overtime where we didn’t get a good look.”
But the Clippers leaned on a former MVP who spent the night dictating everything.
James Harden delivered a vintage performance, finishing with 41 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists — the first 40-point triple-double in Clippers history. He punctuated the night with nine made free throws, including the pair that gave Los Angeles the lead for good in the second overtime. Harden scored 10 of his points across the two extra periods, controlling the pace as Dallas unraveled.
Jason Kidd said guarding Harden in those situations comes down to discipline and details.
“You have to show your hands, but he’s the best at drawing fouls,” Kidd said. “That’s why he’s one of the best in the world. He’s been in this league, and he understands what he has to do — time and score. It’s not always scoring the ball; it’s getting to the free-throw line, and that leads to scoring. He gets to the shot he wants, and that’s the difference between great players and average players.”
The Mavericks had clawed back from a 15-point first-quarter hole, responding with a 25-7 surge behind improved ball movement and shot-making. But Harden’s 23-point first half helped swing momentum back to the Clippers, who led by seven at the break.
A furious fourth quarter followed. Dallas tightened its defense, turned turnovers into transition chances, and leaned heavily on D’Angelo Russell, who scored 10 of his 28 points in the final frame to drag the Mavericks into overtime. Russell’s stat line — 28 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists — made him just the ninth reserve in franchise history to record a 25-5-5 game.
He said he simply kept attacking what was available.
“I don’t even remember, to be honest,” Russell said. “It was a long game. I think we were hammering what was working. Whatever was working, we tried to redo it.”
But Russell also committed seven turnovers, including two critical mistakes in the second overtime — something he didn’t shy away from.
“I have to be better,” Russell said. “You said it right the first time. Limit my turnovers and give us a better chance to make something happen. When the ball’s in my hands, I have to make something happen.”
He explained the challenge of guarding Harden late.
“You have to stay disciplined,” Russell said. “Watching his games and the best players in the league… there’s an element of surprise in how he attacks you and manipulates defenders. You study it and try to be better.”
The Mavericks, now 3-10 overall and 0-7 against the West, also dropped to 2-7 at home. Their first NBA Cup homestand now hinges on Sunday’s finale against the Portland Trail Blazers.
Dallas did receive some needed reinforcement with the return of Dereck Lively II, who played for the first time since Oct. 26 after missing nine games with a right knee sprain. Lively received a warm ovation when he checked in at the 7:39 mark of the first quarter and contributed four points and five rebounds in 17 minutes while on a minutes restriction.
But with Anthony Davis still sidelined for an eighth straight game and PJ Washington missing his first of the season due to a left shoulder strain, the Mavericks’ frontcourt remained thin. Naji Marshall stepped into the starting lineup and matched Russell with 28 points, hitting 9-of-10 free throws and tying a career high in makes, along with eight rebounds. It was his sixth career game with at least 25 points — all as a Maverick.
Kidd highlighted Marshall’s impact on both ends.
“He did a great job on Harden,” Kidd said. “He competed. Offensively he got to the paint, got to his floater, and he knocked down three threes for us. He played a complete game on both ends.”
Russell added that Marshall’s value goes beyond his box score.
“He was scoring for us, and he’s picking up the best player full court,” Russell said. “When you talk about impacting winning, teams want guys like that. He’s going to make a lot of money when the time comes.”
Los Angeles arrived with urgency after losing six straight. Harden’s control of the offense, Ivica Zubac’s 27 points and 11 rebounds, and Bogdan Bogdanovic’s season-high 21 points off the bench powered the Clippers to a 2-0 start in NBA Cup group play.
For Dallas, the loss was defined by late-game execution — an area where Kidd said the team must improve immediately.
“We have to do better if we want to win — being able to get a shot, and then you want to get a quality shot,” Kidd said. “The turnovers hurt us.”
Flagg echoed that sentiment.
“We just have to be tighter — tighter with the ball, tighter with communication, our setup, our spacing,” Flagg said. “It all goes into it.”
Dallas, at 0-2 in West Group B, is not mathematically eliminated, but the path forward requires results elsewhere to break favorably. For a team still searching for rhythm, consistency, and late-game structure, the focus shifts less to scenarios and more to solutions.
Dallas will attempt to salvage the end of their four-game homestand on Sunday, when they face the Portland Trail Blazers in a game that now carries added urgency for a team searching for stability, confidence, and a way out of its early-season slide.