Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg led his team with 27 points in Tuesday’s 120-111 defeat to the Phoenix Suns at the Mortgage Matchup Center.
“Yeah, you know, I thought, you know, I was aggressive, getting downhills to my spots, you know, trying to play with good physicality and, you know, I was rewarded with, you know, getting to the free throw line a little bit, so I thought that was good,” Flagg said regarding his offensive approach.
The Mavericks overcame a 31-point deficit in the fourth quarter, cutting Phoenix’s lead to six with just over two minutes remaining. Flagg credited the team’s effort, saying, “Just competing, you know, just fighting, you know, coming together. Obviously, you know, we just didn’t start with great energy. And, you know, we just came together and found ways, you know, fighting and clawed back into it.”
Flagg highlighted his teammates’ contributions, particularly from new additions Marvin Bagley III and Khris Middleton. “Marvin has been great. I mean, just playing really, really hard, crashing the glass, kind of being everywhere on both sides of the ball,” he said. About Middleton, Flagg added, “I thought he was really good, though, just efficient, getting to his spots. And I think we can look for him a little bit more as we kind of get him worked into rotation more.”
The rookie also praised newcomer Tyus Jones for his floor leadership. “Tyus has been great of just kind of being a point guard for us and running the floor for us,” Flagg said.
Defensively, Flagg focused on slowing down Phoenix’s Dillon Brooks, who scored 15 points in the first nine minutes. “I think just stay in the course, stay in with our game plan and what we wanted to do on him. And he’s a great player. But I thought we’d just, you know, work this stuff up,” Flagg said.
The Mavericks now sit at 19-34, enduring their eighth consecutive loss. Flagg’s performance showed his ability to lead Dallas in both scoring and effort, even in defeat. Dallas will look to rebound Thursday when they face the Los Angeles Lakers, while the Suns host Oklahoma City on Wednesday.
