Cooper Flagg delivered a two-way performance to lead the Dallas Mavericks to a 113-109 victory over the Miami Heat on Monday night at Kaseya Center, leaving Giannis Antetokounmpo and his new team winless through four games.
Flagg finished with 29 points, 11 assists, six rebounds, five steals and three blocks in 40 minutes. The 19-year-old scored 12 points in the fourth quarter and made the decisive defensive play late, blocking Andrew Wiggins’ three-point attempt with 31 seconds remaining to preserve Dallas’ two-point lead.
P.J. Washington added 20 points and nine rebounds for the Mavericks, while Kyrie Irving scored 18 points and dished out six assists. Walter Clayton Jr. contributed 15 points off the bench, shooting 6-of-7 from the field and 2-of-2 from three-point range in 17 minutes.
Dallas improved to 2-2, winning for the second time in three road games.
Antetokounmpo recorded his first triple-double since joining Miami, posting 29 points, 14 rebounds and 11 assists. He shot 12-of-23 from the field but made only three of seven free throws. Davion Mitchell added 21 points, while Andrew Wiggins finished with 12.
The Heat fell to 0-4 for the fifth time in franchise history and the first time since the 2008-09 season. Miami’s free-throw shooting proved costly, as the team converted just 14 of 25 attempts.
Miami started slowly, trailing 19-11 midway through the first quarter, before outscoring Dallas 37-17 over the next 12 minutes to build a 12-point advantage. The Mavericks responded to take a 53-52 halftime lead, and the teams continued trading momentum in the third quarter. Miami entered the final period ahead 84-83 before Dallas regained control midway through the fourth.
Flagg’s late block prevented Wiggins from giving Miami the lead, and the Mavericks held on to complete the four-point victory.
Dallas hosts the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday, while Miami visits the Atlanta Hawks.
