Cooper Flagg had a bad night on Monday, but the Kings’ game plan was the real story. The Dallas Mavericks lost 115-100 to a winless Sacramento team that finally found a way to stop Flagg’s scoring run. Flagg shot just 3-of-19 from the floor and missed his last eight three-point attempts, a stark drop from his 67.8% efficiency on two-pointers earlier in the season. When Kyrie Irving sat out, the Kings piled on the second-year forward and stripped him of the ball, depriving the Mavericks of sufficient shot creation.
The Kings Stifled the Star
Sacramento’s defense made it hard for Flagg to find his usual spots in the midrange. He ended up with 17 points, four rebounds, and six assists, but the six turnovers were a season high. Flagg admitted the pressure was too much after the game. The Dallas Morning News received a statement from Flagg: “I think just being stagnant,” following the game. He added that the Kings “did a good job of mucking it up and forcing guys to make shots. They weren’t going in tonight. Obviously, we didn’t play great. You gotta be able to find ways to win when shots aren’t falling.”
Teammates Refuse to Let Him Take the Blame
Despite the poor outing, Flagg felt the loss was his fault alone. He apologized to the locker room, but his teammates shut down that idea immediately. Daniel Gafford revealed the true sentiment in the room. Gafford, who scored 20 points himself, is right to defend his young star.
The player has work to do, but he is not losing his confidence. He remains optimistic about his offseason work and the practices the team has already put in. Flagg knows he needs to be more aggressive when the defense gives him an opening. “Sometimes just settling, but I gotta just be more and more confident taking the shots they’re going to give me,” Flagg said, according to Dallas News. He also noted, “I’m working on it. I feel confident in practice and everything, so just gotta get up to speed and get to the shots I want to get to.” Even with the rough outing, Flagg managed to get to the free-throw line 11 times, showing he still has the tools to impact the game. The Kings proved they can slow him down, but the Mavs need to prove they can win without him carrying the entire load alone.
