DHJ Quick Take: Magic vs. Mavericks<\/p>\n
Historic Individual Brilliance, Collective Struggle: Cooper Flagg delivered the greatest scoring performance by a teenager in NBA history, dropping 51 points on 19-of-30 shooting. However, the Mavericks couldn\u2019t overcome an Orlando offense that carved them up for 35 assists and 138 points, extending Dallas\u2019s franchise-record home losing streak to 14 games.<\/p>\n
The \u201cRare Air\u201d of the #1 Pick: Flagg joined Michael Jordan and Allen Iverson as the only rookies since the merger with three or more 40-point games. His six triples and assertive pull-up game signaled a massive developmental leap, proving he is the undisputed Rookie of the Year favorite despite the team\u2019s 24-53 record and 6th-best lottery odds.<\/p>\n
Chaos and the \u201cRookie Whistle\u201d: The night was defined by the fourth-quarter ejections of Jason Kidd and Naji Marshall, who were tossed while protesting a blatant no-call on a Flagg drive. Desmond Bane later admitted he was intentionally trying to foul the rookie, fueling the narrative of the \u201crookie whistle\u201d that overshadowed the final minutes at the AAC.<\/p>\n
DALLAS \u2014 There was a moment in the fourth quarter Thursday night at American Airlines Center when the building understood it was witnessing something that had never happened before. Cooper Flagg<\/a>, 19 years old, was putting together the greatest scoring performance by a teenager in NBA history, and he was doing it with his head coach already in the locker room.<\/p>\n Flagg finished with 51 points on 19-of-30 shooting from the field, 6-of-9 from three, and a perfect 7-of-7 from the free throw line to go with 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals, and a block \u2014 becoming the first teenager and just the 10th rookie in NBA history to reach that scoring mark in a single game. It was not enough. The Orlando Magic won 138-127 behind 35 assists, six players in double figures, and a collective offensive effort that overwhelmed a shorthanded Dallas Mavericks<\/a> team, handing the Mavericks a defeat despite one of the most remarkable individual performances in franchise history.<\/p>\n Dallas\u2019s 127 points marked their 15th game this season with 125 or more points, tying the 2019-20 team for the fifth-most such games in a single season in franchise history.<\/p>\n How the Game Got Away for the Dallas Mavericks<\/p>\n For all that Flagg produced individually, the game itself told a different story. Dallas was without five rotation players on the night. Kyrie Irving<\/a> and Dereck Lively II<\/a> remain out following surgeries, while Caleb Martin<\/a> missed the game with a right plantar fascia strain, Marvin Bagley III<\/a> with a left shoulder impingement, and P.J. Washington<\/a> with an illness. Moussa Ciss\u00e9 was also unavailable. The loss also extended Dallas\u2019s franchise-record home losing streak to 14 games.<\/p>\n Flagg acknowledged the gap between his own performance and the result.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s always fun getting into that type of mode \u2014 the basket feels big, your teammates are looking out for you and helping you out,\u201d Flagg said. \u201cBut I love to win, so that\u2019s my main focus. It\u2019s hard for me to fully enjoy it when we\u2019re down 20, down 10, down 15 for most of the game.\u201d<\/p>\n The Magic generated 35 assists as a team \u2014 a number that reflects not just offensive execution but the communication breakdowns Dallas experienced on the defensive end. Jamahl Mosley credited his group\u2019s ability to stay organized throughout.<\/p>\n \u201cThey did a great job of communicating with each other, their talk, their ability to share the basketball,\u201d Mosley said. \u201cYou talk about 35 assists \u2014 moving it, sharing it, trusting the pass, playing with the right style and pace of basketball \u2014 and they\u2019re trusting each other. That was great to see in the way we played, and then defensively at moments we were very good, and then we had some lapses.\u201d<\/p>\n That offensive engine was driven by multiple contributors. Desmond Bane<\/a> led Orlando with 27 points on 8-of-13 shooting, pulling down 7 rebounds and dishing out 5 assists while picking up 3 steals. Wendell Carter Jr.<\/a> was a force inside with 28 points on 8-of-16 shooting \u2014 going a perfect 10-of-10 from the free throw line \u2014 to go with 6 rebounds. Jalen Suggs<\/a> ran the offense with 19 points on 8-of-12 shooting and a game-high 9 assists, while also recording 3 steals. Off the bench, Tristan da Silva added 19 points on 6-of-11 shooting, hitting three of his four three-point attempts. Franz Wagner<\/a> chipped in 18 points in just 17 minutes of work before a brief exit. Even Paolo Banchero<\/a>, held to 10 points, contributed 7 rebounds.<\/p>\n \u201cI thought we played a really good game,\u201d Wagner said. \u201cI thought we looked organized and shared the ball all game. That\u2019s the result \u2014 almost 140 points.\u201d<\/p>\n For Dallas, the defensive lapses centered on a specific problem that Brandon Williams<\/a> identified without hesitation in the aftermath.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve got to be more physical,\u201d Williams said. \u201cI know it\u2019s clich\u00e9 and we say it every game, but we really need to step it up. Teams are blowing up screens, and we knew that going into the game. It\u2019s not a secret. We just need to do a better job being prepared for it.\u201d<\/p>\n Carter Jr. offered the view from the other side of that equation, pointing to how Orlando\u2019s offensive freedom created the conditions for his own standout performance.<\/p>\n \u201cWe relied on our process over our results, and the results came together,\u201d Carter Jr. said. \u201cWe play free, we play open, we play as one unit. I think we\u2019re one of the most dangerous teams in the league if we can continue to do that over these last couple of games.\u201d<\/p>\n The Night It Clicked for Cooper Flagg<\/p>\n Flagg\u2019s 51-point night did not arrive in one sudden burst. Williams watched it build from the inside.<\/p>\n \u201cI think he had like 38 with four minutes left, so it just kind of turned on like a switch,\u201d Williams said after the game. \u201cI like to see that.\u201d<\/p>\n What Williams noticed most was a departure from habit. Flagg, by his own admission and by the accounts of nearly every teammate who spoke postgame, has a tendency to defer \u2014 to find the open man when his own shot is readily available.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s a humble guy,\u201d Williams said. \u201cHe wants everybody to get touches. But when you\u2019ve got it rolling and you\u2019re 6\u201910\u201d and basically unguardable, you need to shoot the ball. We can\u2019t stress it enough to him. Me, P.J., and Naji are always telling him, keeping it blunt. But he\u2019s a teenager \u2014 he\u2019s going to keep getting better.\u201d<\/p>\n Thursday was different. Williams described Flagg as \u201cmore assertive\u201d than at any point this season, including during his previous 50-point game.<\/p>\n \u201cEspecially after the last 50-point game he had \u2014 it kind of just happened naturally,\u201d Williams said. \u201cBut tonight, he was more demanding. That\u2019s the next development for him.\u201d<\/p>\n Flagg acknowledged as much himself, crediting his pull-up jumper as an area of genuine growth.<\/p>\n \u201cTonight, I felt really confident off the dribble \u2014 pulling up and attacking mismatches,\u201d Flagg told Dallas Hoops Journal<\/a>. \u201cThat\u2019s definitely been an area of growth for me this year, just trusting my pull-up and my off-the-dribble game.\u201d<\/p>\n Most impressive about Flagg\u2019s impact is how he consistently commands elite on-ball defenders while continuing to make plays at a high level at such a young age. <\/p>\n Klay Thompson<\/a>, who has matched up against the league\u2019s best scorers for over a decade, did not need many words to frame what separates Flagg from the rest.<\/p>\n \u201cHe takes on the number one defender every night,\u201d Thompson told Dallas Hoops Journal<\/a>. \u201cEveryone is up for that challenge. For him to score against the best defenders on the opponent just shows how good he really is.\u201d<\/p>\n Khris Middleton<\/a> has seen that burden up close as a teammate since arriving via trade in February, and understands better than most what opposing coaches are trying to solve when they game-plan for Flagg.<\/p>\n \u201cJust his size and versatility,\u201d Middleton told Dallas Hoops Journal<\/a>. \u201cTo be 6\u20199\u2033, 6\u201910\u201d, whatever he is, and handle the ball all over the court \u2014 that\u2019s a nightmare matchup. He does a great job of being aggressive and putting defenses in tough positions.\u201d<\/p>\n By the Numbers: Historic Territory<\/p>\n The statistical context around Flagg\u2019s performance on Thursday is staggering at nearly every level.<\/p>\n He is only the third rookie since the NBA\/ABA merger to record 50 or more points in a game, joining Allen Iverson<\/a> and Brandon Jennings<\/a>. Shooting 63.3 percent from the field, 66.7 percent from three, and 100 percent from the free throw line, Flagg became just the 21st player in NBA history to record 50-plus points while shooting 60 percent or better from the field, 60 percent or better from behind the arc, and 100 percent from the charity stripe. He is the only rookie to accomplish the feat.<\/p>\n His complete stat line of 51 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals, and a block represents only the second instance of those numbers in a game in franchise history \u2014 the other being Luka Don\u010di\u0107<\/a> at San Antonio on Dec. 31, 2022. Flagg joins Don\u010di\u0107 as the only players this season to produce that stat line in a single game. He also became one of five players in Mavericks history to score 50 points in a game.<\/p>\n The 51-point outing extended a streak of historic rookie scoring. Flagg has now joined Michael Jordan<\/a> and Iverson as the only rookies since the NBA\/ABA merger to record three or more 40-point games. He also joined Jordan as the only rookies since the merger to produce multiple 45-point efforts.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s in rare air,\u201d head coach Jason Kidd<\/a> said. \u201cHe\u2019s with the GOAT when you talk about MJ and what he did in his rookie year as a teenager. To see what Cooper\u2019s doing \u2014 the excitement, the joy of playing the game \u2014 win or lose, his spirit is about winning.\u201d<\/p>\n Cooper Flagg\u2019s Three-Point Breakthrough<\/p>\n One of the defining statistical elements of Thursday\u2019s performance was Flagg\u2019s career-high six made threes \u2014 a development that teammates, coaches, and opponents have been anticipating all season. Coming in, Flagg was shooting just 29.3% from three on 3.5 attempts per game. His previous single-game high for three-point attempts was five, a mark he reached four times this season. <\/p>\n On Thursday, he nearly doubled it, firing nine times from deep and converting six. For much of the year, Flagg has been reluctant to let it fly even when the look is there \u2014 a tendency that has frustrated the veterans around him who understand what a consistent three-point threat at his size would do to opposing defenses. Thursday was the closest he has come to answering that question at full volume. The six makes place him alongside Kidd, Rodrigue Beaubois<\/a>, Yogi Ferrell<\/a>, Don\u010di\u0107, and Jaden Hardy<\/a> as the only rookies in franchise history to make at least six threes in a game.<\/p>\n \u201cMe and P.J. were telling him to shoot the ball,\u201d Williams said. \u201cHe turns down a lot of them, but shooting the three is only going to open his game a lot more.\u201d<\/p>\n Thompson, one of the most decorated shooters in NBA history and the Mavericks\u2019 leading voice on shooting craft, has had a front-row seat to Flagg\u2019s development all season. Thompson\u2019s take was characteristically efficient.<\/p>\n \u201cHis confidence in getting to his spots,\u201d Thompson told Dallas Hoops Journal<\/a> when asked how Flagg has improved most as a scorer. \u201cHe doesn\u2019t get rushed as much as he did at the beginning, and his ability to elevate is second to none.\u201d<\/p>\n Middleton has taken a more direct role in Flagg\u2019s development in that area. Kidd mentioned Thursday that Middleton has worked extensively with Flagg on identifying and attacking his spots, and Middleton connected that work directly to the three-point question.<\/p>\n \u201cOnce he starts letting it fly and knocking those shots down, it\u2019s going to open up so much more for him,\u201d Middleton told Dallas Hoops Journal<\/a>. \u201cDefenses know once he gets to the paint, he\u2019s a handful to deal with. So once he gets a consistent three-ball like he\u2019s working on, it\u2019s going to make him even better.\u201d<\/p>\n Kidd framed the three-point development not just as an offensive upgrade but as a matter of long-term sustainability. Flagg absorbs punishment every time he attacks the paint \u2014 the flagrant foul from Bane in the second quarter was a reminder of how physically taxing that style of play becomes over a full season, let alone a career. Getting defenses to respect his range would give him another way to hurt teams without putting his body through the same gauntlet every night.<\/p>\n \u201cHe didn\u2019t hesitate. He was super aggressive,\u201d Kidd told Dallas Hoops Journal<\/a> of Flagg\u2019s shooting Thursday. \u201cThat\u2019s something we\u2019ve talked about \u2014 him looking to shoot the three more. He loves to drive, we all know that, but this is the next step. The attempts matter \u2014 you\u2019re going to make some and miss some. It also helps take some wear and tear off his body so he\u2019s not getting hit as much inside.\u201d<\/p>\n For Flagg, the conversation about his three-point shot is not separate from the broader work he puts in year-round. It is part of the same relentless process he applies to every aspect of his game \u2014 the hours logged before anyone else arrives and after everyone else has left.<\/p>\n \u201cA hundred percent,\u201d he said when asked whether shooting will be a focus. \u201cI don\u2019t think there are many players who don\u2019t spend a lot of time on their jumper throughout their career. It\u2019s the most powerful weapon \u2014 being able to knock down shots. I\u2019ve been in the gym all year trying to stay consistent, and I\u2019ll keep working, keep my head down.\u201d<\/p>\n The Ejections and the No-Call<\/p>\n It was not the first time Dallas had reason to feel the officiating crew was letting physical play on Flagg go unchecked. With 1:24 remaining in the second quarter, Bane was assessed a flagrant foul on Flagg \u2014 a call that made what followed in the fourth quarter all the more difficult to accept. <\/p>\n Late in the game, with Flagg driving to the basket, another play went uncalled \u2014 a decision that drew immediate and visceral reactions from the Dallas sideline. Kidd and Naji Marshall<\/a> were both ejected in the aftermath, with Flagg also receiving a technical in the sequence. Kidd said he was told he received a technical foul for not clearing the floor quickly enough; he said he had been attempting to use his coach\u2019s challenge, citing that Mosley had earlier received a delay-of-game warning instead of a technical under similar circumstances.<\/p>\n \u201cI talked to Bane after the play,\u201d Flagg said. \u201cHe told me he was intentionally trying to foul me. I honestly don\u2019t know how they didn\u2019t call it. They must not have had the right view or weren\u2019t paying attention, but they missed it. I think that type of reaction is warranted because there\u2019s not really an excuse.\u201d<\/p>\n Speaking to Dallas Hoops Journal<\/a> during Friday\u2019s shootaround at American Airlines Center, Bane did not shy from the subject when asked about Flagg\u2019s overall season.<\/p>\n \u201cI think he\u2019s got a great motor \u2014 great motor, great feel for the game,\u201d Bane told Dallas Hoops Journal<\/a>. \u201cThe way he plays on both ends of the floor, his versatility \u2014 he\u2019s been put in all types of different positions on the court this year. So I think the sky\u2019s the limit for a kid like that.\u201d<\/p>\n Flagg said the no-call only reinforced what he already believes about the challenge rookies face with officials.<\/p>\n \u201cTo an extent, for sure,\u201d Flagg said when asked whether the \u201crookie whistle\u201d is real. \u201cBut there\u2019s also a learning curve \u2014 learning the whistle in this league, learning different refs, and learning ways to get to the foul line. I\u2019ll be the first to admit I\u2019m probably not the best at drawing fouls. A lot of guys foul-bait, and that\u2019s a skill.\u201d<\/p>\n He added that the experience will sharpen him in the long term.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s only going to force me to get better and learn from it \u2014 figure out how to use guys\u2019 physicality against them and turn that against them when they try to be overly physical,\u201d Flagg said.<\/p>\n Kidd, watching the closing minutes from the locker room with Marshall and Washington, leaned into the moment with characteristic directness.<\/p>\n \u201cI guess me and Naji have to get kicked out more,\u201d Kidd said. \u201cWe\u2019re a family \u2014 we have to protect one another. The way the game was being officiated was below average. On that play, he got fouled twice \u2014 not just on the arm but also got pushed. For three officials not to see it, that\u2019s tough.\u201d<\/p>\n Jason Kidd, Watching From the Locker Room<\/p>\n Kidd\u2019s vantage point for the closing stretch of Flagg\u2019s historic night was unusual. He and Marshall caught the action on a television with a slight delay, relying partly on crowd noise to track what was happening.<\/p>\n \u201cI started in the office and then went to the locker room with Naji and P.J. to watch,\u201d Kidd said. \u201cThere\u2019s a little delay, so we were counting on the fans to tell us what was happening. You could hear the announcer with Coop, so they kind of gave us a heads-up of what was coming. It was a lot of excitement in the back watching him again.\u201d<\/p>\n Kidd was effusive about what Flagg represents to the franchise, invoking Jordan to frame the historical weight of the moment.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s a rookie \u2014 he should be Rookie of the Year,\u201d Kidd said. \u201cIt\u2019s unbelievable. The country is not watching the same thing that we get to watch on a daily basis. The things that he\u2019s done \u2014 he\u2019s in rare air.\u201d<\/p>\n Kidd also made clear that Thursday\u2019s performance, loss notwithstanding, represents exactly the foundation the franchise is building on.<\/p>\n \u201cRight now we\u2019re not winning, but as he said in the locker room, we\u2019re going to be that much better next season,\u201d Kidd said. \u201cWhen he takes the floor, he\u2019s always delivering. Tonight\u2019s no different \u2014 he had a 51 ball against a really good defensive team. It shows he\u2019s getting better. We\u2019ve talked about planting our flag \u2014 we\u2019re proud to have Cooper.\u201d<\/p>\n Flagg also made a point of crediting the fans who showed up despite the final outcome being well out of reach for much of the night.<\/p>\n \u201cYou definitely feel the energy in the gym,\u201d Flagg said. \u201cThe fans have shown up for us all year, even when we haven\u2019t given them a lot to be excited about. That energy helps \u2014 it keeps you going and motivated. So shoutout to the fans for bringing that energy.\u201d<\/p>\n Brandon Williams and Klay Thompson: Supporting Cast<\/p>\n While Flagg commanded the night\u2019s narrative, it would be a mistake to overlook what the two veterans alongside him produced.<\/p>\n Williams finished with 23 points on 7-of-15 shooting, going 9-of-11 from the free throw line to go with 2 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 steals. It was his eighth 20-point game of the season \u2014 twice as many as his previous two NBA seasons combined, when he recorded four such efforts total.<\/p>\n Williams described what he was seeing defensively that allowed him to get downhill throughout the night.<\/p>\n \u201cOpen paint,\u201d Williams told Dallas Hoops Journal<\/a>. \u201cMy teammates spacing the floor allowed me to get into the lane. Klay, John, Max \u2014 our shooters being ready to shoot. Orlando is a smart team, so they stayed home with them and allowed me to get downhill and make plays, not only for myself but for others as well.\u201d<\/p>\n Thompson added 18 points on 7-of-13 shooting, going 4-of-10 from three. The four made threes moved Thompson to 180 on the season from off the bench, the second-most by any player in the league this year. He is now six made threes shy of his 11th career season with 200 or more, a total that would be second-most in NBA history. Max Christie<\/a> chipped in 14 points on 4-of-7 shooting, going 3-of-6 from three, while Ryan Nembhard<\/a> quietly put together a steady night with 7 rebounds and 5 assists. Daniel Gafford<\/a> contributed 7 points, 3 rebounds, 2 steals, and 2 blocks in 19 minutes.<\/p>\n Middleton, a steadying force since arriving in Dallas, credited the team\u2019s collective spacing as the engine behind everything Flagg was able to do.<\/p>\n \u201cKnowing that he\u2019s the number one guy on most scouting reports and gets the most attention, he still finds a way to be effective each game,\u201d Middleton told Dallas Hoops Journal<\/a>. \u201cJust his versatility and his will.\u201d<\/p>\n The Rookie of the Year Case for Cooper Flagg<\/p>\n Flagg entered Thursday as a leading candidate for Rookie of the Year on the strength of a season unlike anything a first-year player has produced in decades, carrying a 24-53 Dallas team on his back night after night while putting up numbers that have drawn comparisons to the greatest rookie campaigns in league history. <\/p>\n Earlier that same day, ESPN published its final straw poll of 100 media members \u2014\u00a0likely the award voters themselves \u2014 and the results were decisive. Charlotte Hornets guard Kon Knueppel<\/a> received 80 first-place votes compared to just 20 for Flagg, a gap driven in large part by Knueppel setting the NBA rookie record for three-pointers made while currently leading the entire league in threes on 43.1% shooting, numbers that have been central to Charlotte\u2019s surge into the play-in picture. Those around Flagg, however, consider the case closed regardless of where the poll stands, and Thursday only deepened their conviction.<\/p>\n Flagg was measured when the Rookie of the Year race came up, but the people around him were not.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a no-brainer,\u201d Williams said. \u201cTonight only proved it again. Like I said, he\u2019s a teenager doing this. It\u2019s just amazing. His maturity, his relentlessness out there \u2014 it speaks for itself. I don\u2019t have much more to say. I think everybody knows he\u2019s going to be the rookie.\u201d<\/p>\n Kidd, who has watched Flagg navigate the expectations that come with being the No. 1 overall pick with a composure that belies his age, was equally unequivocal.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s a rookie \u2014 he should be Rookie of the Year,\u201d Kidd said. \u201cIt\u2019s unbelievable.\u201d<\/p>\n Flagg, predictably, redirected. He has shown little interest in individual accolades throughout the season, and Thursday was no different despite the historic nature of what he had just done.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is what it is,\u201d Flagg said. \u201cFor me, it\u2019s about getting better every day. I know what I\u2019m capable of, so it\u2019s just about improving, competing, and being the player I know I can be. I\u2019ll let everything else figure itself out.\u201d<\/p>\n Asked directly whether a 51-point game helps his case, he allowed himself a small concession before pulling back.<\/p>\n \u201cI would hope it helps,\u201d he said. \u201cBut I\u2019m not focused on that. I\u2019m focused on getting better every night, looking at the bigger picture, and building toward something.\u201d<\/p>\n When asked what keeps him grounded through a season that has tested this roster in nearly every way, his answer was the same one he always comes back to.<\/p>\n \u201cJust the hours in the gym,\u201d Flagg said. \u201cAll the reps I\u2019ve put in \u2014 that\u2019s what I fall back on. When I\u2019m struggling, I just try to get more shots up and get a better feel. When I feel good, I\u2019m more confident. It\u2019s always about getting in the gym and building that feel.\u201d<\/p>\n Orlando Magic\u2019s Perspective<\/p>\n Mosley was generous in his praise of Flagg, but made clear his team\u2019s collective performance was the story he valued most. Orlando entered Thursday having won seven of its last ten games, locked in a tight race for playoff seeding in the Eastern Conference, and the victory had the feel of a team hitting its stride at exactly the right time.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019ve got to give Dallas credit and Cooper for what he did tonight,\u201d Mosley said. \u201cBut at the end of the day, our guys did an unbelievable job of responding back and playing for one another.\u201d<\/p>\n The box score backed him up. Six Magic players reached double figures, and the 35-assist total was a reflection of a team that does not need a single dominant possession to generate good looks. Every Orlando bucket felt connected to the one before it.<\/p>\n \u201cHard to guard,\u201d Mosley said of his offense when the ball moves that way. \u201cTo me, that was selfless basketball. The biggest thing is if you go back and watch the tape, you see the lines of communication amongst the guys. The right play is always going to be the right play.\u201d<\/p>\n Mosley had a unique vantage point on Flagg specifically\u2014he coached him during USA Basketball camp, which gave him an early look at the player Dallas eventually took with the first overall pick. That familiarity came through in his scouting assessment.<\/p>\n \u201cHe attacks the basket, gets to that left hand and left side of the floor quickly, and gets to his shot,\u201d Mosley said. \u201cYou try to do as much as you can to defend him without fouling. He wasn\u2019t shooting the ball great from three before we got to him, and he comes out and gets himself going. Having him earlier on at USA, you could see his fire, his fight, his toughness \u2014 hell of a player.\u201d<\/p>\n The version of Flagg that Mosley saw Thursday was visibly different from the one Orlando faced earlier this season, when the rookie was still working his way back from injury and had not yet found the assertiveness that has defined his play of late.<\/p>\n \u201cHe was coming off injury the last time we played him, so it wasn\u2019t as explosive early on,\u201d Mosley said. \u201cNow you see more explosion \u2014 popping up for jump shots, the three, coming down in transition aggressively. His handling and some of the playmaking as well. Doing things on both sides of the ball \u2014 that\u2019s a lot for a young player, and he\u2019s doing a heck of a job.\u201d<\/p>\n Carter Jr. was one of the primary bodies sent at Flagg on defense, underscoring how Orlando\u2019s offensive identity held up even against a 51-point individual performance on the other side.<\/p>\n \u201cThey did a great job of responding back and playing for one another,\u201d Carter Jr. said. \u201cWe play free, we play open, we play as one unit. I think we\u2019re one of the most dangerous teams in the league if we can continue to do that over these last couple of games. Being in a good spot going into the playoffs will give us a really good chance.\u201d<\/p>\n Carter Jr. was also candid about the challenge of containing Flagg, speaking with the authority of someone who spent the better part of four quarters trying to do exactly that.<\/p>\n \u201cCooper\u2019s one of those guys \u2014 he\u2019s going to be in this league for a long time,\u201d Carter Jr. said. \u201cTonight showed how talented he is as a player. The sky\u2019s the limit for that kid. If he continues to work and find his groove in this league, he\u2019s going to be one of the best to play.\u201d<\/p>\n What Comes Next<\/p>\n Dallas is nearing the end of a season largely defined by Flagg\u2019s development and the toll injuries have taken on the roster. But the performances of late have generated genuine belief inside the building about what this group could become.<\/p>\n \u201cIt means a lot,\u201d Williams said when asked about the team\u2019s bond through the ups and downs of 70-plus games together. \u201cWe\u2019ve been in 70-something games now, so for us to stay together through all the ups and downs \u2014 just taking whatever we can get. Even nights like this with Cooper going crazy, just celebrating small wins. That\u2019s the biggest thing. We\u2019re a relatively small, young team, so for the young guys, it\u2019s about understanding this isn\u2019t the norm. Just come in every day and work.\u201d<\/p>\n Williams also pointed to what separates Flagg from where he was at the start of the year, crediting both the player\u2019s own development and the mentorship around him.<\/p>\n \u201cJust finding his spots on the floor \u2014 where he likes the ball,\u201d Williams told Dallas Hoops Journal<\/a>. \u201cHe\u2019s picking his spots, knowing when to shoot, where to get it, and he\u2019s being more demanding \u2014 telling us where he wants it. And Khris Middleton<\/a> has done a great job trying to coach him, showing him how to get to those spots. Having a vet like that is huge.\u201d<\/p>\n Middleton confirmed the picture that Williams painted.<\/p>\n