Dallas Mavericks fans were subjected to stand for nearly four minutes during the start of Wednesday’s game against the New Orleans Pelicans before Max Christie drilled a corner 3-pointer to end the gameday ritual.
Those same fans rose to their feet nearly two hours later when the Mavericks had a chance to tie or send the game into overtime.
Cooper Flagg, who started his NBA career by making 21 consecutive free throws, extended that streak with a pair of clutch freebies with 59 seconds left to bring the Mavericks within one point. With 9.8 seconds left, Flagg had a chance to tie the game and force overtime but missed a floater, resulting in a third straight loss for the home team.
Flagg led the Mavericks with a team-high 20 points, nine rebounds, three steals and two blocks. PJ Washington had an impactful second quarter and had a double-double of 15 points, 11 rebounds and two blocks. Daniel Gafford scored nine of his 15 points in the fourth quarter and totaled eight rebounds, two steals and two blocks.
Mavericks
Wednesday’s game began with a level of intrigue because Mavericks coach Jason Kidd unveiled a significant change to his starting lineup roughly 30 minutes before tip-off. Klay Thompson was replaced in the first unit by D’Angelo Russell, marking the veteran sharpshooter’s first game as a reserve since signing with the Mavericks during the 2024 offseason.
The Mavericks missed their first seven shots before Christie’s triple that was drawn up after a timeout by Kidd. Thompson eventually emerged off the bench to a rousing ovation by the fans inside American Airlines Center at the 5:06 mark of the first quarter. It wasn’t long after before Thompson went on a personal 5-0 run following a 3-pointer and a fadeaway midrange jumper.
Thompson finished with 11 points, four rebounds and three assists on 4-of-7 shooting in 21 minutes of action, hovering slightly above his average of 20.2 entering the game. His last time coming off the bench was when he was a member of the Warriors, on March 24, 2024.
For the first time this season, Flagg wasn’t listed as the team’s starting point guard, which allowed the rookie to play away from the ball. With Russell as the lead guard, Flagg was able to cut to the basket more, leading to easier attempts at the rim.
Flagg added another emphatic slam to his rookie highlight reel late in the first quarter when he caught a two-handed alley-oop from Naji Marshall, sending American Airlines Center into a frenzy. Flagg threw down the dunk with two hands over Pelicans big man Karlo Matkovic.
The Pelicans were led by Saddiq Bey, who finished with a season-high 22 points and nine rebounds. He was one of six Pelicans to reach double figures in scoring. Jeremiah Fears and Jose Alvarado added 13 points each.
The Mavericks, who are now tied with the Pelicans for the worst record in the Western Conference, will now shift their focus to a two-game road trip, starting with Friday’s game against the Memphis Grizzlies. The contest marks their first Group Play game of the NBA Cup.
On Twitter/X: @MikeACurtis2
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