Brooklyn never held a lead Sunday night at American Airlines Center, and Cooper Flagg was a big reason it never got close to one.
The second-year forward scored 14 points in the first quarter and finished with 25 points and a career-high 12 assists in a 130-93 Dallas win. He made 8 of 13 shots, including 3 of 5 from deep, and all six of his free throws in 28 minutes, per the NBA.com box score.
The Associated Press counted it as his third straight double-double and his fourth of the season.
A fast start, then the passes
Flagg had started slowly in his two prior outings, against the Spurs and the Jazz. This time he had eight points about five minutes in, and his 3 with 0.6 on the clock at the end of the first quarter made it 32-26, the Mavericks' website reported.
Early in the second he converted a three-point play on a dunk, then twice found Daniel Gafford for and-ones. When he hit another 3, he had 20 points and Dallas led 47-30 with 9:21 to go in the half. The AP said it was the 16th 20-point half of his career and his first this season.
From there the night tilted toward the assists. The Mavericks led 66-46 at the break and scored at least 30 points in every quarter. Gafford finished with 18 points on 7-of-8 shooting, Kyrie Irving added 21, and Dallas outscored Brooklyn 64-40 in the paint.
"It just speaks to our group and everybody coming together," Flagg said of the assist total, according to the club. "It didn't even feel like anything crazy."
Coach Dusty May said Flagg's passing was what first caught his eye when he began studying him. "I was shocked at how good of a passer he was and what type of court vision (he has)," May said.
