Cooper Flagg scored 20 points as the Dallas Mavericks snapped a seven-game road losing streak with a 100-98 victory over the Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center on Tuesday. “How my parents raised me… playing through stuff like that, it’s just kind of how I am,” Flagg said when asked about playing through an injury scare.
Flagg highlighted Brandon Williams’ confidence on the game-winning three-pointer. “I threw it to him with confidence… he was open. He’s in the gym a ton, working on his game and getting ready for that moment,” he said.
The Mavericks trailed 58-46 at halftime but outscored Sacramento by 14 over the final two quarters. “I thought we just played with great energy… we did a better job coming out and playing together in the second half,” Flagg said.
Flagg praised Daniel Gafford’s presence on the boards, noting 15 offensive rebounds for Dallas. “G just impacts the game in a ton of different ways… using his size and getting his hands on those loose balls is huge for us,” he said.
Reflecting on execution in clutch moments, Flagg added, “Even when they hit some tough shots… down the stretch, we answered really well, got into our sets, and got to the spots we wanted to get to.”
Anthony Davis contributed 19 points and 16 rebounds, while Naji Marshall added 15, helping fuel Dallas’ second-half surge. Flagg’s leadership and scoring helped stabilize the team, particularly after the first half, where Dallas struggled to move the ball efficiently.
The Mavericks shot 41% overall, including 30% from three-point range, while converting 14 of 21 free throws. Sacramento finished with 42% shooting and 29% from beyond the arc, falling short despite strong performances from DeMar DeRozan (21 points) and Zach LaVine (20 points).
Dallas improves to 14-23 and will visit Utah on Thursday, while the Kings drop to 8-29, remaining second-worst in the Western Conference, and head to Golden State on Friday.
