Davis dominated the second half, while Flagg ignited an early spark, leading the Mavericks to a hard-fought victory over the Nets with a decisive fourth-quarter surge.
DALLAS — The Dallas Mavericks leaned on a dominant second half from Anthony Davis and late-game poise from their young backcourt to shake off a slow start and pull away from Brooklyn down the stretch.
Anthony Davis scored 20 of his 24 points after halftime and finished with 14 rebounds and three blocks as the Mavericks rallied past the Nets 119-111 on Friday night. Cooper Flagg added 22 points and eight assists, helping Dallas close the game with a decisive fourth-quarter surge.
The Mavericks improved to 10-16 and have now won five of their last six games, including consecutive home wins for the first time this season. Naji Marshall scored 17 points, while Dallas outscored Brooklyn 29-19 in the fourth quarter to seal the win.
Dallas also controlled the interior despite being shorthanded up front, outscoring the Nets 66-44 in the paint while Davis played extended minutes at center with Dereck Lively II and Daniel Gafford sidelined by injuries.
The game was tightly contested for much of the night, with neither team able to create separation until the final minutes. Brooklyn tied the score at 110 with just under three minutes remaining, but Dallas answered with its sharpest execution of the night.
Brandon Williams delivered the go-ahead basket, knocking down a second-chance three following a Flagg rebound. Davis followed with a floater after forcing a turnover, and Williams later set up P.J. Washington for two free throws that gave the Mavericks breathing room.
Michael Porter Jr. led Brooklyn with 34 points, extending his streak of 30-point games to four. The Nets shot a season-best 43.6% from three-point range, hitting 17 of 39 attempts, but went cold late, shooting just 28.6% in the fourth quarter.
Danny Wolf added 17 points off the bench for Brooklyn, while Nic Claxton posted 14 points and 10 rebounds.
The night reflected a clear split in responsibilities for Dallas’ two offensive pillars. Flagg carried the early scoring load, while Davis took over when the game tightened.
Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd emphasized that balance afterward.
“Cooper was really good there in the first half,” Kidd said. “He was attacking. He got us going offensively.”
Kidd then pointed to the shift that followed the break.
“AD had four points in the first half, but I thought he picked it up there in the second half,” Kidd said. “When one guy is going, you tend to lean on him, and I thought we leaned on AD there in the second half.”
Flagg scored 18 of his 22 points before halftime and showed his two-way versatility with several momentum plays, including a weak-side block that sparked a fast break and led to a transition layup. He finished with five rebounds to go along with his eight assists.
Afterward, Flagg acknowledged that the long layoff was noticeable early.
“I actually felt tired, to be honest,” Flagg said. “I thought I was stiff and tired, but I worked my way into it. Just playing as hard as I can. That’s something I pride myself on every day.”
Davis, meanwhile, made his biggest impact on both ends in the second half, anchoring the defense while consistently scoring in traffic.
“I’m not a one-trick pony,” Davis said. “I can play both ends of the floor. When teams are trying to switch and front and deny me the ball, I can make an effort and impact the game on the defensive end.”
Dallas also received steady contributions from Washington, who finished with 13 points and four rebounds, and Klay Thompson, who scored 12 off the bench. Max Christie helped ignite a key second-quarter sequence with a block that led to a transition basket, followed moments later by a steal and a kick-out three.
The victory came in the Mavericks’ first game since it was announced that Lively will miss the remainder of the season following foot surgery. Gafford missed his third straight game due to a right ankle injury, and D’Angelo Russell was ruled out because of illness.
Despite the absences, Dallas looked sharp after five days off and once again delivered in clutch time. The Mavericks have now played an NBA-high 19 clutch games this season, continuing to rely on late-game execution as they climb back into the play-in picture.
Dallas will look to build on the momentum when it travels to face the Utah Jazz on Monday night.