LOS ANGELES — Cooper Flagg had never shied away from the spotlight, And on Saturday night, at the Intuit Dome in Englewood, he proved ready for prime time.
The former Duke star and the No.1 overall pick in last June’s 2025 NBA Draft sizzled for 35 points in a dazzling performance that carried the Dallas Mavericks to a 114-110 road victory over the Los Angeles Clippers.
Although he misfired with 0-for-3 from 3, Flagg crushed 13 of 22 shots while grabbing eight rebounds and dishing three dimes in 38 minutes of action. Klay Thompson added 23 off the bench while Naj Marshall chipped in 18 for Dallas’ sixth win in 21 outings.
But it was Flagg who bolstered the offense in a tough back-to-back Hollywood visit that saw the Mavericks fall to the Lakers 129-199 on Friday night.
“Coop set the tone, he was aggressive,” Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said at his postgame press conference. Kidd was also pleased with his team’s defense which held the Clippers to just 37 of 80 from the field (46 percent) and 7-of-25 from 3-point distance (28 percent).
Kawhi Leonard paced the Clippers with 30 points while James Harden added 29 and 11 assists.But despite a powerhouse lineup buoyed by a home crowd of 17,927, Los Angeles lost steam in the fourth quarter where it was outscored 31-27.
The Clippers dropped to 5-15 (won-lost record) and sit 13h overall in the loaded Western Conference.
