Cooper Flagg poured in 25 points and dished out a career-high 12 assists on Sunday night to lead the Dallas Mavericks to a massive 130-93 victory over the Brooklyn Nets. The young star posted his third straight double-double and fourth of the season, proving he can run the show while scoring in bunches. The Mavericks played their first home game in a back-to-back set, and they did not miss a step against a tired Nets squad.
The Mavericks shot a season-best 57.1 percent from the field and racked up a season-high number of points, according to the Associated Press. They built a 20-point lead by halftime with a score of 66-46 and never looked back. The final margin of 37 points stands as the largest victory for Dallas in this game, according to CBS Sports.
The Nets Hit a Wall
Brooklyn struggled to keep up from the opening tip and never led against Dallas. The Nets did not trail until the final two minutes of Saturday’s close loss at Atlanta, but they could not find their rhythm in Dallas. Michael Porter Jr. scored 19 points with nine rebounds, while Nolan Traore added 14 points for the visitors. The team was swept in a back-to-back to start their four-game road trip, a tough start to the week.
Julius Randle, who grew up in the Dallas area, entered the game averaging 23.5 points in homecoming contests but finished with just 13 points. Nets rookie Mikel Brown Jr., still recovering from a back injury that limited him to 21 games for Louisville last season, sat out the game. Although he matched his career-high of 18 points on Saturday, he was not cleared to play in this second night.
Flagg Finds His Groove
Cooper Flagg opened the game hot, hitting 5 of his first 6 shots in the first period. This marked his 16th career 20-point half and his first of the season, per the Associated Press. He had a rough start on Friday against Utah, missing 6 of 8 shots and scoring only four points in the first half, yet he still finished with 21 points in a 112-100 win. That previous performance set the stage for his explosive showing on Sunday.
Kyrie Irving contributed 21 points while Daniel Gafford added 18 to the victory effort. The team is now ready to host Indiana on Monday night, according to the Associated Press. Brooklyn will travel to New Orleans for a game on Wednesday night.
