Cooper Flagg delivered his most complete performance yet as an NBA player, pouring in a career-high 29 points with seven rebounds and five assists, and the Dallas Mavericks erased a 15-point deficit to beat the New Orleans Pelicans 118–115 on Friday night at American Airlines Center.
Dallas (5–12) entered the night severely shorthanded. D’Angelo Russell was ruled out with illness, while the team again played without Anthony Davis (left calf strain), Kyrie Irving (left knee surgery), and Danté Exum (right knee injury management). The Mavericks leaned on a rotation of 10 players, relying heavily on rookies, role players, and pace to survive a night where New Orleans’ young core came out firing. Meanwhile, New Orleans played without Dejounte Murray (right Achilles rupture) and Jordan Poole (left quad strain).
The Mavericks closed the game on a 7–0 run after trailing 115–111 with 1:37 remaining, fueled by Flagg’s late shot-making, a pivotal steal by Dereck Lively II, and Naji Marshall’s go-ahead three-pointer against his former team. The rookie duo of Derik Queen and Jeremiah Fears powered New Orleans early—Queen finished with 20 points, 11 assists, and seven rebounds; Fears added 21 and seven boards—but the Pelicans (2–14) collapsed in the final minute, missing their last five shots.
Afterward, Jason Kidd said the moment never felt too big for Flagg. Even before Friday’s performance, Flagg had quietly been trending upward, entering the night averaging 16.4 points, 6.4 rebounds and 3.3 assists across 16 games, while posting 20.5 points, 6.0 rebounds and 3.7 assists over his previous six. The career-best performance against New Orleans extended what has become one of the strongest early-season stretches by any rookie in the league.
With a matter-of-fact tone, Kidd explained the trust level Dallas already has in the 18-year-old.
“He’s done that for us all season – the big rebounds, a big block, a big, basket,” Kidd said. “Clutch, he’s not afraid. We get him the ball and he seems like he’s been there before, being able to score when you need a bucket. When everyone knows you’re coming to him, he delivered and for an 18-year-old, that’s pretty special.”
Early Pressure From New Orleans And a Chaotic First Half
The Pelicans overwhelmed Dallas from the start, hitting five 3-pointers in the opening five minutes and racing ahead 18–12 behind Fears’ quick-trigger rhythm. By the end of the first quarter, New Orleans led 34–25, with Queen already running the offense like a veteran and Trey Murphy III on his way to a 25-point effort. Williamson added downhill pressure that repeatedly put Dallas on its heels.
Flagg, meanwhile, scored eight of Dallas’ early points, keeping the game within reach during an otherwise ragged offensive stretch. His touch around the basket and poise in tight spaces prevented the deficit from ballooning even further.
But New Orleans eventually stretched it to 49–38, and Murphy’s free throws pushed the margin to 63–49 at halftime. Dallas entered the break shooting just 39 percent with 10 turnovers, while only P.J. Washington had joined Flagg in double figures.
Kidd said his halftime message focused on subtle corrections rather than sweeping changes.
“We talked about it at halftime, just understanding what we needed to clean up,” Kidd said. “And I thought we did that in the second half. I thought the guys attacked, and we shared the ball. We actually connected the dots there. Their 20 turnovers is hard to win in this league, so understanding how important it is to take care of the ball.”
Flagg said Kidd challenged him directly on his approach.
“He told me I needed to be more aggressive driving to the rim,” Flagg said. “I was settling too much — not badshots, but settling. Put more pressure on the defense. They were collapsing. Put pressure on them and find teammates. That was his message.”
Max Christie Ignites the Third Quarter As Dallas Shifts Into Stack Pick-And-Roll
The Mavericks’ offense transformed after halftime, shifting into a heavy dose of Stack pick-and-roll, a layered three-man action that forced New Orleans to make tougher reads in the middle of the floor. By using a back screener behind the primary screener, Dallas consistently created confusion for New Orleans’ backline and opened avenues for both drives and skip passes.
Max Christie delivered the first surge of momentum. He opened the third quarter with back-to-back threes, trimming the deficit to 63–52 and immediately changing the pace of the night. Christie finished with 23 points on 7-for-12 shooting and tied his career high with five made three-pointers, thriving in the increased spacing Stack provided.
Christie said the turnaround stemmed from defensive urgency paired with better offensive structure.
“They hit five threes in the first five minutes of the game,” Christie said. “So that was an emphasis — twos don’t hurt us as much as threes. Someone told me they were 0-for-12 from three in the second half. Our ability to fight over screens, contest, and pressure their offense led us to the win. That 22-point third quarter got us back in it.”
Flagg added nine points in the third without missing a shot, including a soaring one-handed dunk that electrified the crowd. Washington, who ended the night with 24 points, nine rebounds and three blocks, repeatedly steadied the offense with timely shooting—particularly as Dallas forced switches through Stack action that freed him for clean looks.
Kidd said Washington’s overall impact anchored the run.
“His nine — he scored 20 points while guarding some of their better players on the other side of the floor,” Kidd said. “He made some big threes for us down the stretch.”
Brandon Williams Steers the Offense As Dallas Claims Its First Fourth-Quarter Lead
Brandon Williams, who tied his career high with 12 assists, controlled the early fourth quarter. As Dallas leaned deeper into Stack sets, Williams attacked downhill, forcing Pelicans defenders to rotate early and opening space along the wings. Christie’s dunk off a Flagg assist and a pair of free throws from Williams gave Dallas its first lead of the final period at 98–94.
Kidd said Williams’ composure came despite recovering from recent illness.
“In the second half I thought Juan, for him coming back from his illness, he attacked early and then he started to settle,” Kidd said. “At halftime we talked a little bit about what I thought he should do, and he responded.”
New Orleans responded swiftly with a 14–3 burst, as Queen scored twice inside, Williamson converted three straight free throws, and Murphy’s pair at the line gave the Pelicans a 115–111 lead with 1:37 remaining.
Christie said Dallas had been in this position too many times to panic.
“To be honest, I think we’ve shown progress throughout many games,” Christie said. “We’ve been in so many close games so far this season, and so the growth tonight is being able to close one out and win one.”
Cooper Flagg Executes Late and Naji Marshall Punishes His Former Team
Flagg opened Dallas’ final push by backing down Fears and spinning into a soft jumper to cut the deficit to 115–113. After Lively stripped Queen at the rim, Dallas used an empty-side alignment to isolate Flagg again. When New Orleans shaded a late double, Flagg rifled a pass to Marshall at the top of the arc.
Marshall calmly drilled the 26-footer, putting Dallas ahead 116–115 with 30.7 seconds left.
Flagg said all he saw was trust.
“The spin… I got to a good spot,” Flagg said. “With Naji, the big word is trust. Naji’s open, throw the ball, make the right play. That’s what happens when you trust your guys.”
Marshall’s energy spike came minutes after he drew a technical foul while trailing by three. Kidd revealed Marshall believed the T served a purpose.
“He felt the T. was needed to get the defense in gear,” Kidd said. “And he will tell you that the T. helped us get three stops in a row.”
After Marshall’s shot, Washington blocked Fears’ long jumper, Flagg secured the rebound, and Christie buried two free throws to make it 118–115 with 10.9 seconds left. New Orleans’ final two threes—one from Trey Murphy III, another from Derik Queen—missed.
A Breakthrough Built On Growth — And One the Dallas Mavericks Needed
The Mavericks recorded 30 assists, tied for their fifth-most this season, and hit 16 threes for the second straight game. They posted nine blocks, nine steals, and held the Pelicans to 0-for-12 from deep after halftime. Dallas played with a clarity of structure offensively and a consistent defensive presence that hasn’t always shown up in late-game situations this year.
Kidd said the win reflected the group’s resilience.
“I think that’s the character of the group — they’re gonna compete,” Kidd said. “They never feel they’re out of the game. Illness, injury — they trust each other. And you saw that at a high level.”
Flagg said the team finally broke through after weeks of close losses.
“We’ve been right there,” Flagg said. “It feels good to close one out.”
The Mavericks host the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday night.
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