<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/dallas-mavericks/mavericks-news-jason-kidd-benched-cooper-flagg-thunder');   ga('set', 'title', 'Why Mavericks HC Jason Kidd benched Cooper Flagg in crunch time vs. Thunder');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Jason-Kidd-addressing-media.jpg"><figcaption>Jerome Miron-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Why Mavericks HC Jason Kidd benched Cooper Flagg in crunch time vs. Thunder</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-10-28T08:12:06-07:00">October 28th, 8:12am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-10-28T08:12:06-07:00">October 28th, 8:12am</time><address><a>Jayesh Pagar</a>Jayesh Pagar is currently pursuing Sports Journalism from the London School of Journalism and brings four years of experience in sports media coverage. He has contributed extensively to NBA, WNBA, college basketball, and college football content, delivering in-depth analysis and breaking news coverage across multiple platforms.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Dallas Mavericks</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Dallas Mavericks fell 101-94 to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday, with Cooper Flagg watching most of the fourth-quarter comeback from the bench. The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/dallas-mavericks/mavericks-news-cooper-flagg-downplays-injury-concerns-after-flat-disaster-vs-thunder">rookie was dealing with left shoulder soreness</a> after taking contact on the opening possession and sat out crunch time despite playing 31 minutes.</p><p>Dallas trailed by as many as 22 points before cutting the deficit to one with 54.8 seconds remaining, but Flagg had checked out with 8:14 left and returned only for two late defensive possessions.</p><p>Following the game, head coach Jason Kidd <a href="https://www.espn.in/nba/story/_/id/46753133/mavs-cooper-flagg-hurts-shoulder-benched-crunch" rel="noopener">addressed the benching decision</a>, per Tim MacMahon of ESPN.</p><p>“It wasn’t his night tonight,” Kidd said. “We’re a team, and so understand that the group that was out there put us in the position to win the game. He wasn’t on the floor, but he was cheering for his teammates.”</p><p>Flagg <a href="https://www.espn.in/nba/player/_/id/5041939/cooper-flagg" rel="noopener">shot just 1-of-9 from the field</a> and finished with two points, two rebounds, and two steals in 31 minutes. The rookie acknowledged he had no problem with Kidd’s decision and understood the reasoning behind it.</p><p>“The way the game was going, we had a group out there that was doing really well and was on a run, so I see where Coach was at with that,” Flagg said. “And I mean, I was flat. I wasn’t myself. I wasn’t impacting the game at a high level, wasn’t doing the right stuff. So obviously, that’s an easy decision for Coach. He was just out there trying to win the game.”</p><p>Oklahoma City’s length bothered the Mavericks down the stretch, with Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein making key plays to seal the win. Flagg is listed as day-to-day and will undergo scans on his left shoulder before Wednesday’s game against the Indiana Pacers.</p><p>His shooting struggles came one night after <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/dallas-mavericks/mavericks-news-cooper-flagg-stat-line-first-nba-win-grabs-attention">a 22-point, turnover-free performance against the Toronto Raptors</a>, where he became the second 18-year-old in NBA history to post 20-plus points with zero turnovers. The back-to-back schedule and shoulder issue likely contributed to his dip in production.</p><p>Kidd credited Flagg for being a “tough kid” by playing through pain, but emphasized the team will evaluate how he feels before making any decisions about his availability moving forward.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Why Mavericks HC Jason Kidd benched Cooper Flagg in crunch time vs. Thunder

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/dallas-mavericks/mavericks-news-cooper-flagg-downplays-injury-concerns-after-flat-disaster-vs-thunder');   ga('set', 'title', 'Mavericks’ Cooper Flagg downplays injury concerns after ‘flat’ disaster vs. Thunder');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Cooper-Flagg-on-Oct.-27-2025.jpg"><figcaption>Jerome Miron-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Mavericks’ Cooper Flagg downplays injury concerns after ‘flat’ disaster vs. Thunder</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-10-28T07:08:24-07:00">October 28th, 7:08am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-10-28T07:08:24-07:00">October 28th, 7:08am</time><address><a>Zachary Weinberger</a>Zachary Weinberger joined ClutchPoints in October 2023 as a Miami Heat reporter as well as an Associate Editor. He graduated from Florida Atlantic University in 2022 after covering the school's athletic programs since his freshman year at the FAU University Press, where he was a Sports Editor and Editor-in-Chief. He then covered FAU Sports for The Palm Beach Post.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Dallas Mavericks</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>As the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/dallas-mavericks/mavericks-solved-problem-thunder-weaknesses-fix">Dallas Mavericks lost to the Oklahoma City Thunder</a> on Monday night, 101-94, the attention was brought to rookie Cooper Flagg, who suffered a shoulder injury on the opening possession of the game. While <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/dallas-mavericks/mavericks-news-dallas-cooper-flagg-unlocked-something-special-raptors">Flagg has been special for the Mavericks</a> to start the season, the injury could worry fans about his outlook, though the 18-year-old would provide insight into the shoulder issue.</p><p>Flagg would only score two points, shooting one of nine from the field, missing all three shots from deep, to go along with two rebounds and two steals. He would also sit for a majority of crunch time, per Jason Kidd’s decision to prevent further injury. As Flagg said after the game, he feels<a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/46753133/mavs-cooper-flagg-hurts-shoulder-benched-crunch" rel="noopener"> “like it’s just a little sore,”</a> as he sustained the injury while boxing out a defender early in the contest, according to ESPN.</p><p>“We’re going to probably get some scans or whatever, make sure everything’s all clean, but I feel like it’s just a little sore,” Flagg said. “Just want to keep an eye on it, ice it, do some rehab, and should be good to go.”</p><p>It was a tight game against the defending champions as Dallas came back from a deficit of 22 points to cut it down to within one point as Flagg was taken out with eight minutes left in the outing.</p><p>“It wasn’t his night tonight,” Kidd said. “We’re a team, and so understand that the group that was out there put us in the position to win the game. He wasn’t on the floor, but he was cheering for his teammates.”</p><h2><b>Mavericks’ Cooper Flagg admits “flat” performance vs. Thunder</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Thunder-center-Chet-Holmgren-7-drives-to-the-basket.jpg"><figcaption>© Jerome Miron-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>With <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/dallas-mavericks/mavericks-news-fans-erupt-cooper-flagg-new-career-high-dunk">Flagg setting career-highs in the Mavericks’ win</a> over the Toronto Raptors on Sunday, the down performance on Monday could be attributed to shoulder soreness. Even still, Flagg admitted that he had a “flat” outing against the Thunder, understanding why he wasn’t out there in crunch time.</p><p>“The way the game was going, we had a group out there that was doing really well and was on a run, so I see where Coach was at with that,” Flagg said. “And I mean, I was flat. I wasn’t myself. I wasn’t impacting the game at a high level, wasn’t doing the right stuff. So obviously, that’s an easy decision for Coach. He was just out there trying to win the game.”</p><p>At any rate, Flagg and Dallas look to bounce back against the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Mavericks’ Cooper Flagg downplays injury concerns after ‘flat’ disaster vs. Thunder

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/oklahoma-city-thunder/thunder-news-chet-holmgren-posterizes-cooper-flagg-for-savage-welcome-to-nba-moment');   ga('set', 'title', 'Thunder’s Chet Holmgren posterizes Cooper Flagg for savage ‘Welcome to NBA’ moment');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Thunder-center-Chet-Holmgren-7-drives-to-the-basket.jpg"><figcaption>© Jerome Miron-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Thunder’s Chet Holmgren posterizes Cooper Flagg for savage ‘Welcome to NBA’ moment</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-10-27T19:54:43-07:00">October 27th, 7:54pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-10-27T19:54:43-07:00">October 27th, 7:54pm</time><address><a href="https://letterboxd.com/splooshpuhrty/films/by/your-rating/">Jedd Pagaduan</a>Jedd Pagaduan is a certified Clippers and Gunners fan, which means he's a very sports-traumatized individual. He now writes about sports instead as a form of therapy.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>No one is doubting the idea of Cooper Flagg being one of the best players in the NBA someday. But as a rookie for a Dallas Mavericks team in transition, he is bound to have plenty of growing pains. On Monday night, he was given a major welcome to the NBA moment by <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/san-antonio-spurs/spurs-news-the-chet-holmgren-reason-that-victor-wembanyama-motivated-this-year">Oklahoma City Thunder big man Chet Holmgren</a>, who had no intention of taking it easy on one of the most hyped-up rookies of all-time.</p><p>Early on in the third quarter, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was handling the ball, drawing two defenders in the process. Just as he felt PJ Washington leaning closer to him than his original man, Holmgren, the Thunder star threw the ball to Holmgren, who decided not to settle for a jumper, taking the ball straight to the hoop.</p><p>And with only Flagg providing resistance between Holmgren and the hoop, there was always going to be <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPoints/status/1982989211210027439" rel="noopener">one winner</a> — with the Thunder star putting the Mavericks rookie on a poster with a mean one-handed slam.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">CHET HOLMGREN PUTS COOPER FLAGG ON A POSTER 😱</p><p> <a href="https://t.co/LvjJT6gQg4">pic.twitter.com/LvjJT6gQg4</a></p><p>— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPoints/status/1982989211210027439?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 28, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/indiana-pacers/pacers-news-myles-turner-embarrasses-chet-holmgren-with-crucial-game-3-block">Holmgren has had his fair share of growing pains</a> as well through the years, and as one of the best shot-blockers in the NBA, he’s experienced plenty of similar plays as Flagg through the years. But now that he’s maturing with age and with championship experience, the Thunder big man appears to be figuring something out on offense.</p><p>The second overall pick of the 2022 NBA Draft is coming off a game against the Atlanta Hawks in which he scored 31 points, hauled in 11 boards, and recorded three steals and a block. With Jalen Williams out, there is plenty of room for shots down the OKC pecking order. And it looks like Holmgren is making the most of his opportunity as the team’s undisputed second option on the offensive end.</p><h2><b>Thunder look to extend undefeated start to title defense</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_0250.jpeg"><figcaption>Dale Zanine-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/oklahoma-city-thunder/thunder-news-okc-opens-title-defense-with-ot-feat-not-seen-in-nba-history">Thunder were pushed to the brink</a> in their first two games of the season, with the Houston Rockets and Indiana Pacers pushing them to double overtime. OKC prevailed, with Gilgeous-Alexander flexing his dominance and looking like the MVP of the league in the process.</p><p>After taking care of business rather handily against the Atlanta Hawks, the Thunder find themselves in another close game, with the Mavericks putting the pressure on the reigning champion. At the time of writing, OKC is holding on to a slim three-point lead with around 22 seconds remaining in the contest.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Thunder’s Chet Holmgren posterizes Cooper Flagg for savage ‘Welcome to NBA’ moment

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/dallas-mavericks/mavericks-news-fans-cooper-flagg-tradition-national-anthem');   ga('set', 'title', 'Mavericks fans’ Cooper Flagg tradition during national anthem will give you chills');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Cooper-Flagg_80a82a.jpg"><figcaption>Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Mavericks fans’ Cooper Flagg tradition during national anthem will give you chills</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-10-27T11:02:21-07:00">October 27th, 11:02am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-10-27T11:02:21-07:00">October 27th, 11:02am</time><address><a>Rohan Brahmbhatt</a>Rohan Brahmbhatt is an adventure-driven sports writer, passionate footballer, mountaineer, and photojournalist. Rohan blends firsthand experience with storytelling—capturing the intensity of sport and the thrill of exploration. Whether on the field, a mountain trail, or behind the lens, he brings authentic, high-energy narratives that connect readers to the heart of the action.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Dallas Mavericks</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Dallas Mavericks have found their new spark, and it’s not just on the court. Rookie sensation <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/dallas-mavericks/mavericks-news-cooper-flagg-stat-line-first-nba-win-grabs-attention">Cooper Flagg has ignited something special</a> in Dallas, and fans are finding their own way to celebrate the arrival of the No. 1 overall pick.</p><p>Before tipoff at American Airlines Center, a new tradition has quietly, and now unmistakably, taken hold. During the national anthem, when the line “And the flag was still there” echoes through the arena, Mavericks fans erupt in unison with a single word: “FLAGG!”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Mavs fans have been yelling "Flagg" during the national anthem to start the season 🗣️</p><p>(via <a href="https://twitter.com/DLLS_Mavs?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DLLS_Mavs</a>)<a href="https://t.co/2SMzvjNnv4">pic.twitter.com/2SMzvjNnv4</a></p><p>— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPoints/status/1982797997944479823?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 27, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>What started as a handful of enthusiastic fans on opening night has now turned into a full-blown pregame ritual. The crowd’s thunderous shout fills the arena, creating an electric moment that connects the team, the city, and their new franchise cornerstone.</p><p>For the 19-year-old rookie, it’s become a surreal experience. “It’s crazy, man,” Flagg said after Dallas’ 139-129 win over the Toronto Raptors on Sunday night. “The first time I heard it, I didn’t even realize what was happening until my teammates started smiling. It gives me chills every time.”</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/dallas-mavericks/mavericks-news-dallas-cooper-flagg-unlocked-something-special-raptors">Flagg has quickly established himself</a> as the centerpiece of the Mavericks’ future, and possibly their present. Starting at point guard in Kyrie Irving’s absence, the former Duke star delivered his best performance yet, <a href="https://www.espn.in/nba/boxscore/_/gameId/401809966" rel="noopener">finishing with 22 points,</a> four rebounds, four assists, and a block on 8-of-14 shooting.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">COOPER WESTLEY FLAGG <a href="https://t.co/piwnfzMyKc">pic.twitter.com/piwnfzMyKc</a></p><p>— Dallas Mavericks (@dallasmavs) <a href="https://twitter.com/dallasmavs/status/1982619784207650993?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 27, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/dallas-mavericks/mavericks-news-fans-erupt-cooper-flagg-new-career-high-dunk">Flagg’s explosive and-one dunk</a> late in the third quarter sent the Dallas crowd into a frenzy, a moment that perfectly symbolized the energy he’s brought to this team.</p><p>But even with his dazzling play, it’s the anthem moment that’s fast becoming one of the most beloved traditions in Dallas sports. Fans are calling it “the loudest word in Texas,” while social media has been flooded with videos capturing the chills and goosebumps that come with that powerful roar of “FLAGG.”</p><p>As the season unfolds, it’s clear that Cooper Flagg’s arrival means more than just stats and highlights; it’s a cultural moment. Dallas finally has a new name to rally behind, and every night begins the same way.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Mavericks fans’ Cooper Flagg tradition during national anthem will give you chills

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/dallas-mavericks/mavericks-news-cooper-flagg-draws-modest-rookie-projection-from-dallas-assistant');   ga('set', 'title', 'Cooper Flagg draws modest rookie projection from Mavericks assistant');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Cooper-Flagg-on-Oct-26-2025.jpg"><figcaption>Jerome Miron-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Cooper Flagg draws modest rookie projection from Mavericks assistant</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-10-27T10:50:07-07:00">October 27th, 10:50am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-10-27T10:50:07-07:00">October 27th, 10:50am</time><address><a>Zachary Weinberger</a>Zachary Weinberger joined ClutchPoints in October 2023 as a Miami Heat reporter as well as an Associate Editor. He graduated from Florida Atlantic University in 2022 after covering the school's athletic programs since his freshman year at the FAU University Press, where he was a Sports Editor and Editor-in-Chief. He then covered FAU Sports for The Palm Beach Post.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Dallas Mavericks</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>While <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/dallas-mavericks/mavericks-news-cooper-flagg-stat-line-first-nba-win-grabs-attention">Dallas Mavericks rookie Cooper Flagg was impressive in his first NBA win</a> of his career, the basketball world is wondering what his stat line could look like by the end of the season. With <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/dallas-mavericks/mavericks-news-dallas-cooper-flagg-unlocked-something-special-raptors">Flagg looking special for the Mavericks</a> against the Toronto Raptors in the 139-129 win, an assistant coach from the team spoke about potential expectations that would be productive for the team.</p><p>Tim MacMahon of ESPN was on “The Hoop Collective” podcast and said he spoke with a Dallas assistant coach who mentioned that if Flagg averaged 14 points, seven rebounds, and six assists, plus adding his defensive ability, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bv8CUV-tBl8&amp;t=1570s" rel="noopener">that’s a solid rookie year.</a> Especially for a talent like Flagg, who turns 19 years old in December, the sky is the limit for the Duke product.</p><p>“I was talking to a Mavs assistant,” MacMahon said. “And they basically said, ‘Hey, if Cooper ends up averaging like fourteen, seven, and six, and making plays defensively like he does, then that’s going to be a really, really good rookie season for a kid who doesn’t turn 19 until, I think it’s December.'”</p><p>“The fact that he’s already a solid starter in the NBA at this age is remarkable,” MacMahon continued. “I just think like to expect him as a point guard, a position he’s never played, to consistently put up big numbers and drive winning, like that’s asking a whole lot.</p><h2><b>Mavericks’ Cooper Flagg already showing why he’s an immense talent</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Cooper-Flagg_80a82a.jpg"><figcaption>Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>As <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/dallas-mavericks/mavericks-news-fans-erupt-cooper-flagg-new-career-high-dunk">Flagg set new career-highs with the Mavericks</a> in the Raptors’ win, he would total 22 points on eight of 14 shooting from the field to go along with four rebounds and four assists. Playing a point guard role for Dallas to start, he has still shown his explosiveness, <a href="https://x.com/NBA/status/1982620922994724952" rel="noopener">like the and-one dunk</a> that had the basketball world buzzing.</p><p>“When he’s getting the crowd going like that, our team feeds off it,” D’Angelo Russell said, via ESPN. “When he’s performing like that,<a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/46741146/cooper-flagg-ignites-mavericks-offense-first-nba-win" rel="noopener"> it’s contagious.”</a></p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">COOPER FLAGG AND-1 POSTER SLAM 🤯</p><p>📺 NBA League Pass<br>📲 <a href="https://t.co/cRUBKOfvP4">https://t.co/cRUBKOfvP4</a> <a href="https://t.co/o1aeTb93i9">pic.twitter.com/o1aeTb93i9</a></p><p>— NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1982620922994724952?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 27, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>There’s no denying that Flagg already looks like the talent he’s made out to be, fitting into his new role.</p><p>“It feels great. I’m excited,” Flagg said. “We want to build off tonight, use it as a baseline. This team needs to just keep building and getting better.”</p><p>At any rate, Flagg and the Maveicks look to keep the momentum going with their next game against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday night.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Cooper Flagg draws modest rookie projection from Mavericks assistant

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/dallas-mavericks/mavericks-news-mark-aguirre-jersey-retired');   ga('set', 'title', 'Mavericks’ only other 1st overall pick aside from Cooper Flagg set to have jersey retired');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Mavericks-news-Dallas-only-1st-overall-pick-aside-from-Cooper-Flagg-set-to-have-jersey-retired.jpg"></figure><h1>Mavericks’ only other 1st overall pick aside from Cooper Flagg set to have jersey retired</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-10-27T09:07:02-07:00">October 27th, 9:07am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-10-27T09:07:02-07:00">October 27th, 9:07am</time><address><a href="https://www.facebook.com/joey.mistretta/" rel="facebook">Joey Mistretta</a>Joey Mistretta is a Dallas Mavericks beat reporter, Dallas Wings beat reporter and lead MLB editor for ClutchPoints. He is originally from Lake Arrowhead, California. Mistretta graduated from Biola University with a degree in broadcast journalism.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Dallas Mavericks</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Dallas Mavericks <a href="https://x.com/JoeyMistretta_/status/1982834549425049779" rel="noopener">are planning</a> to retire franchise legend Mark Aguirre’s No. 24 jersey on January 29, 2026, the team announced Monday. Aguirre was the Mavericks’ first ever No. 1 overall NBA Draft pick. He is also the only other first overall pick <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/dallas-mavericks/mavericks-news-dallas-officially-selects-cooper-flagg-2025-nba-draft">aside from Cooper Flagg</a> in Mavericks franchise history.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/dallas-mavericks/10-greatest-mavs-in-franchise-history-ranked">Dirk Nowitzki’s No. 41</a>, Derek Harper’s No. 12, Rolando Blackman’s No. 22 and Brad Davis’ No. 15 are the only other jersey numbers currently retired by the Mavericks. Aguirre will become the fifth player in franchise history to have a jersey number retired.</p><h2><b>Mark Aguirre’s career with the Mavericks</b></h2><p>A three-time NBA All-Star, Aguirre spent the first portion of his NBA career in Dallas — playing with the Mavs from the 1981-82 season until the 1988-89 campaign. In addition to the Mavericks, Aguirre also spent time with the Detroit Pistons and Los Angeles Clippers during his career. However, each of his All-Star selections came in Dallas.</p><p>Mavericks governor Patrick Dumont released a statement on the decision to retire Aguirre’s No. 24 jersey.</p><p>“As we look back on 45 years of this franchise, it is a great honor to recognize one of our legends,” Dumont said. “Mark’s legacy as a foundational player is defined by excellence, determination and commitment. We are proud to pay tribute to his profound impact on this organization by retiring his jersey and immortalizing his legacy as one of the Mavericks’ greats.”</p><p>Aguirre’s No. 24 jersey will be retired during a halftime ceremony on January 29. Fans who attend the January 29th game against the Charlotte Hornets will receive Mark Aguirre memorabilia.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Mavericks’ only other 1st overall pick aside from Cooper Flagg set to have jersey retired

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/dallas-mavericks/mavericks-news-dangelo-russell-cooper-flagg-warning-nba');   ga('set', 'title', 'Mavericks’ D’Angelo Russell sends Cooper Flagg warning to rest of NBA');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Cooper-Flagg_c7b5d0.jpg"><figcaption>Jerome Miron-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Mavericks’ D’Angelo Russell sends Cooper Flagg warning to rest of NBA</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-10-27T08:14:17-07:00">October 27th, 8:14am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-10-27T08:14:17-07:00">October 27th, 8:14am</time><address><a>Troy Finnegan</a>Troy Finnegan is a Senior Editor, NFL and NCAA Sports Lead at ClutchPoints. He graduated from the University of Colorado Boulder in 2023 with a degree in journalism and minors in communications and sports media, as well as a critical sports studies certificate. He has had a passion for sports his entire life, and enjoys covering and writing about all sports.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Dallas Mavericks</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Dallas Mavericks are one of the most interesting teams in the NBA this season, and it all <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/dallas-mavericks/mavericks-news-dallas-cooper-flagg-unlocked-something-special-raptors">comes down to their No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg</a>. All eyes are on the former Duke star as he gets his feet wet in the pros, and he is starting to settle in through three games after a rocky debut.</p><p>Flagg is currently starting at point guard for the Mavs because of the injury to Kyrie Irving. Dallas brought in D’Angelo Russell in free agency this offseason to help fill that void, but he is currently coming off the bench while Flagg runs the show with the starting unit.</p><p>After Dallas got its first win of the season with a 139-129 victory over the Toronto Raptors on Sunday night, Russell <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/nba/comments/1oh4ks5/dangelo_russell_on_cooper_flagg_hes_just_getting/" rel="noopener">sent a warning</a> to the rest of the NBA about what Flagg has coming.</p><p>“Unbelievable,” Russell said of Flagg. “He’s just getting started. Everybody’s chasing that Flagg.”</p><p>Flagg shot just 4-for-13 in his NBA debut, a loss to the Spurs in which <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/san-antonio-spurs/spurs-news-victor-wembanyama-san-antonio-record-season-opener-scoring">Victor Wembanyama stole the show</a> with his monster performance. He improved some in his second game, an 18-point showing in a loss to the Washington Wizards, but he played some of his best basketball against the Raptors.</p><p>On Sunday night, Flagg scored 22 points on 8-for-14 shooting while splashing a pair of 3-pointers. He also added four rebounds and four assists as he settles into his new role running the Dallas offense.</p><p>It makes sense that playing point guard would take a bit of an adjustment period for Flagg, who spent a lot of time as the four-man during his time at Duke. He still did his fair share of ball-handling and initiating the offense, but he also shared that role with guys like Kon Knueppel throughout the year.</p><p>Still, it is clear that <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/dallas-mavericks/mavericks-news-cooper-flagg-stat-line-first-nba-win-grabs-attention">Flagg is picking things up quickly during his first week</a> in the NBA and appears poised to be an impact player for this Mavericks squad during his rookie season. Whether it will be enough to keep them in the playoff hunt until Irving comes back remains to be seen, but it will be fascinating to watch his development throughout the season.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Mavericks’ D’Angelo Russell sends Cooper Flagg warning to rest of NBA

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/dallas-mavericks/mavericks-news-cooper-flagg-stat-line-first-nba-win-grabs-attention');   ga('set', 'title', 'Mavericks rookie Cooper Flagg’s stat line in first NBA win grabs attention');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Cooper-Flaggs-stat-line-in-first-NBA-win-grabs-attention.jpg"><figcaption>Jerome Miron-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Mavericks rookie Cooper Flagg’s stat line in first NBA win grabs attention</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-10-26T21:27:56-07:00">October 26th, 9:27pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-10-26T21:27:56-07:00">October 26th, 9:27pm</time><address><a>Richard Pereira</a>Richard Pereira joined ClutchPoints in January 2025 as an Associate Editor. He earned his degree from Florida Atlantic University in 2023 and has been covering the school's athletic programs since 2020, having served as a Sports Editor at the FAU University Press. He was granted the unique opportunity to report on the men's basketball team's journey to the Final Four in Houston for FAU Owls Nest during March Madness, consistently striving to grow as a sports journalist.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Dallas Mavericks</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Cooper Flagg accomplished an important feat of his young NBA career following the Dallas <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/dallas-mavericks/mavericks-news-dallas-cooper-flagg-unlocked-something-special-raptors">Mavericks’ 139-129 win over the Toronto Raptors</a> on Sunday night.</p><p>In 29 minutes of action, Flagg had a solid performance with his time on the court. He finished with a stat line of 22 points, four rebounds, four assists, and a block. He shot 8-of-14 from the field, including 2-of-6 from beyond the arc, and 4-of-4 from the free-throw line.</p><p>His efforts helped the Mavericks earn their first win of the season at home. Not only that, but the rookie forward also <a href="https://x.com/statmuse/status/1982628811264196759" rel="noopener">obtained the first victory of his career</a>, a positive sign of things to come for the ex-Duke star.</p><h2><b>How Cooper Flagg, Mavericks played against Raptors</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Cooper-Flaggs-stat-line-in-first-NBA-win-grabs-attention-2.jpg"><figcaption>Jerome Miron-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>It was a great win for Cooper Flagg and the Mavericks to earn over the Raptors, bouncing back from their previous losses to the San Antonio Spurs and Washington Wizards.</p><p>The game was close throughout the first half, seeing the Raptors only up 66-64 at halftime. It took until the third quarter for the Mavericks to take over, outscoring their visitors 39-25 throughout those 12 minutes. That period proved to create the distance Dallas needed, coasting to victory down the stretch.</p><p>Shot selection and free throws made the difference in this matchup. The Mavericks prevailed in both categories, making 58.8% of their total shots while converting 29 shots at the line. It was similar for the Raptors but to a lesser extent, knocking down 49% of their total field-goal attempts while making 18 free throws.</p><p>Seven players scored in double-digits for Dallas, including Flagg. Anthony Davis showcased another impressive outing with 25 points, 10 rebounds, three assists, three steals, and two blocks. He shot 11-of-14 overall and 3-of-8 from the charity stripe. D’Angelo Russell came next with 24 points and six assists, PJ Washington had 17 points and seven rebounds, Max Christie put up 17 points and two assists, while Naji Marshall provided 12 points and six rebounds. Meanwhile, Klay Thompson contributed with 10 points and four rebounds.</p><p>The Mavericks will look forward to their next matchup, remaining at home. They host the Oklahoma City Thunder on Oct. 27 at 8:30 p.m. ET.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Mavericks rookie Cooper Flagg’s stat line in first NBA win grabs attention

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/dallas-mavericks/mavericks-news-dallas-cooper-flagg-unlocked-something-special-raptors');   ga('set', 'title', 'Mavericks, Cooper Flagg just unlocked something special vs. Raptors');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Cooper-Flagg-shoots-the-ball-against-Raptors.jpg"><figcaption>Jerome Miron-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Mavericks, Cooper Flagg just unlocked something special vs. Raptors</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-10-26T20:11:33-07:00">October 26th, 8:11pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-10-26T20:14:55-07:00">October 26th, 8:14pm</time><address><a href="https://www.facebook.com/joey.mistretta/" rel="facebook">Joey Mistretta</a>Joey Mistretta is a Dallas Mavericks beat reporter, Dallas Wings beat reporter and lead MLB editor for ClutchPoints. He is originally from Lake Arrowhead, California. Mistretta graduated from Biola University with a degree in broadcast journalism.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Dallas Mavericks</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>DALLAS — The Dallas Mavericks defeated the Toronto Raptors by a final score of 139-129 on Sunday night. The victory represented Dallas’ first win of the 2025-26 NBA season. After two and a half games of offensive woes (especially from a turnover standpoint), the Mavs found their rhythm in the third quarter against the Raptors. The Mavericks were trailing 66-64 at the half but found themselves with a 103-91 lead heading into the fourth quarter after their third quarter outburst.</p><p>The Mavs also only turned the ball over one time in the third quarter following 12 first half turnovers. Head coach Jason Kidd revealed his halftime message to the players <a href="https://x.com/JoeyMistretta_/status/1982639214085693725" rel="noopener">while speaking to reporters</a> after the win.</p><p>“Just being honest with them. There’s no tricks here,” Kidd said. “We have to take care of the ball. We were just making careless mistakes. One way you can do that is by talking and then the other way is by slowing down. I thought we slowed down there in the third quarter.</p><p>“We were able to connect the dots.”</p><h2><b>Cooper Flagg steals the show</b></h2><p>One of the electrifying moments of the third quarter came when Cooper Flagg threw down a massive and-one dunk with around three minutes remaining in the third quarter. Dallas did not look back after that, ultimately holding on for the victory.</p><p><a href="https://x.com/dallasmavs/status/1982619784207650993" rel="noopener">Video via</a> the Mavericks:</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">COOPER WESTLEY FLAGG <a href="https://t.co/piwnfzMyKc">pic.twitter.com/piwnfzMyKc</a></p><p>— Dallas Mavericks (@dallasmavs) <a href="https://twitter.com/dallasmavs/status/1982619784207650993?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 27, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>The dunk also led to Flagg recording a new career-high in points, as he scored his 19th point of the game as a result of the following free throw after the and-one. Flagg ended up scoring 22 points overall.</p><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/dallas-mavericks/mavericks-news-got-absolutely-roasted-loss-luka-doncic-dropped-49-points">Mavs’ offensive struggles</a> were impossible to ignore through the first two games, but it seems as if they figured things out in the third quarter. It still wasn’t a perfect night — the first two quarters were mediocre and the Mavs turned the ball over 20 times — but improvement was displayed without question.</p><p>“Yeah, he (Kidd) definitely did (address the Mavs’ turnover issues at halftime),” Flagg <a href="https://x.com/JoeyMistretta_/status/1982644220092428781" rel="noopener">told reporters</a>. “Same thing we’ve been kind of dealing with, some stupid turnovers that we can’t make… We gotta be smarter with the ball. Honestly, when we were taking care of the ball and playing with good patience, we’re getting a lot of good looks.</p><p>“So the big thing he was saying was just ‘take care of it and we will get the shots that we can get.'”</p><h2><b>Mavericks guard D’Angelo Russell receives his opportunity</b></h2><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/dallas-mavericks/mavericks-dangelo-russell-problem-snubbed-jason-kidd">D’Angelo Russell finally received enough playing time</a> to truly make an impact, and he made the most of the opportunity. Russell’s plus-26 plus-minus was the Mavs’ overall highest mark. He added 24 points, six assists, five rebounds and three steals. The Mavs ultimately finished with three players with 20 or more points, as Flagg scored a career-high 22 points as mentioned while Anthony Davis had 25.</p><p>“I think we just turned the ball over (in the first half) and we’re down two points going into the half,” Russell <a href="https://x.com/JoeyMistretta_/status/1982635966016704982" rel="noopener">said of</a> the Mavs’ offense breaking through in the third quarter. “Us knowing that if we don’t turn the ball over, we got a good chance to open this thing up. That was the result.”</p><p>The Mavericks will face a challenge on Monday. Dallas is set to host the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder in the second of a back-to-back. Tip-off is scheduled for 8:30 PM EST.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Mavericks, Cooper Flagg just unlocked something special vs. Raptors

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/dallas-mavericks/mavericks-news-fans-erupt-cooper-flagg-new-career-high-dunk');   ga('set', 'title', 'Mavericks Fans erupt after Cooper Flagg sets new career-high with thunderous dunk');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Cooper-Flagg-1.jpg"><figcaption>Jerome Miron-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Mavericks Fans erupt after Cooper Flagg sets new career-high with thunderous dunk</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-10-26T19:05:42-07:00">October 26th, 7:05pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-10-26T19:05:42-07:00">October 26th, 7:05pm</time><address><a>Allan Binoy</a>Allan Binoy is a sports journalist who covers the NFL, NCAA Football, and NBA for ClutchPoints. With a deep passion for storytelling and analysis, he brings fans closer to the action by breaking down the biggest moments and storylines across the world of sports.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Dallas Mavericks</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Cooper Flagg’s <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/dallas-mavericks/mavericks-news-cooper-flagg-slam-dunk-vs-wizards">throwdown at the end of the third quarter didn’t just rattle the rim</a>; it set off a roar that echoed through the arena and pushed the rookie to a new career high. Joey Mistretta posted the slam on X, writing that the dunk and the free throw that followed gave Cooper Flagg a new NBA career-high with 19 points. </p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">This dunk not only electrified the Mavericks’ crowd, but it also gave Cooper Flagg a new NBA career-high points (after free throw) with 19. <a href="https://t.co/WSuJ5OP5Kg">pic.twitter.com/WSuJ5OP5Kg</a></p><p>— Joey Mistretta (@JoeyMistretta_) <a href="https://twitter.com/JoeyMistretta_/status/1982618756422697196?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 27, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Flagg, the Dallas Mavericks’ No. 1 overall pick, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/dallas-mavericks/mavericks-news-jason-kidd-cooper-flagg-nba-career-reality">delivered the kind of burst every franchise dreams of</a> from a freshman-turned-rookie: physical at the rim, poised with the ball, and suddenly the most electric man on the court. Fans rose, cameras zoomed in, and social feeds filled with the kind of highlight reaction that fuels a young player’s brand.</p><p>“Taking a one pound dribble past half court to punch onna 7 footer is insane !!! Good lord,” one fan <a href="https://x.com/deejayylamotte/status/1982623902183600613" rel="noopener">wrote</a>. While another <a href="https://x.com/vvlockdown/status/1982622313171632628" rel="noopener">echoed</a> the statement, “he dunks like russell westbrook if he had another ten inches of height holy f**k.”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">I hope this is the start of something beautiful 🤩 <a href="https://t.co/joYDgBXtcU">pic.twitter.com/joYDgBXtcU</a></p><p>— Kungfu Kenneth (@kungfukenn_eth) <a href="https://twitter.com/kungfukenn_eth/status/1982619036677758990?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 27, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="qme"> <a href="https://t.co/ZC52hROuec">pic.twitter.com/ZC52hROuec</a></p><p>— Barty 💪🏽 (@BartyB590) <a href="https://twitter.com/BartyB590/status/1982626847126163600?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 27, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="qme"> <a href="https://t.co/b06LTIYOXI">pic.twitter.com/b06LTIYOXI</a></p><p>— Cooper deGrom (@skostyboi) <a href="https://twitter.com/skostyboi/status/1982619337778491438?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 27, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Bro took flight like he got a pilot’s license 😤✈️ <a href="https://t.co/pT8HeYvhIl">pic.twitter.com/pT8HeYvhIl</a></p><p>— FHILY👑 (@Oluwaphilemon1) <a href="https://twitter.com/Oluwaphilemon1/status/1982619575591305277?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 27, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The box score picture is slightly different. ESPN’s official gamebook shows Flagg with 22 points, four rebounds, and four assists in 29 minutes, and he spearheaded a fourth-quarter surge that nearly erased a large deficit. That stat line <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/dallas-mavericks/mavericks-news-cooper-flagg-jason-kidd-unicorn-praise">underscored both his scoring punch and playmaking upside as a primary creator.  </a></p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">OHHH MY GOODNESS <a href="https://t.co/zpnaRbTnmf">pic.twitter.com/zpnaRbTnmf</a></p><p>— 𝕄𝕚𝕕ℝ𝕒𝕟𝕘𝕖𝔻𝕚𝕣𝕜𝟒𝟏 (@MidRangeDirk) <a href="https://twitter.com/MidRangeDirk/status/1982620560556449933?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 27, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Rookie of the Year 😭😭 <a href="https://t.co/zzRWbZo097">pic.twitter.com/zzRWbZo097</a></p><p>— Cobee (@cobeeknows) <a href="https://twitter.com/cobeeknows/status/1982621080369107360?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 27, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Him &amp; AD saving the mavs <a href="https://t.co/uC5F3R6esr">pic.twitter.com/uC5F3R6esr</a></p><p>— Cobee (@cobeeknows) <a href="https://twitter.com/cobeeknows/status/1982621311399768367?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 27, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="qme"> <a href="https://t.co/UvV8Nd7RsW">pic.twitter.com/UvV8Nd7RsW</a></p><p>— Carpo (@Carpo_31) <a href="https://twitter.com/Carpo_31/status/1982619328446112250?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 27, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="qme"> <a href="https://t.co/b0IcFmC5oB">pic.twitter.com/b0IcFmC5oB</a></p><p>— Huggy (@DeyLuvHuggy) <a href="https://twitter.com/DeyLuvHuggy/status/1982620130694889606?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 27, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Dallas’ record still sits in the early-season trenches, but a sequence like that, a rookie with size, touch, and timing, gives the Mavericks something to build on. If Flagg keeps making plays that get crowds to their feet, debates about ceiling will shift toward inevitability. For now, the highlights keep coming, and so do the questions: can the rookie turn crowd-pleasing moments into consistent winning production?</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Mavericks Fans erupt after Cooper Flagg sets new career-high with thunderous dunk

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/dallas-mavericks/mavericks-news-jason-kidd-cooper-flagg-nba-career-reality');   ga('set', 'title', 'Mavericks’ Jason Kidd reveals Cooper Flagg’s honest reality early in NBA career');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Cooper-Flagg-reacts-during-Wizards-Mavericks-game.jpg"><figcaption>Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Mavericks’ Jason Kidd reveals Cooper Flagg’s honest reality early in NBA career</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-10-26T15:21:56-07:00">October 26th, 3:21pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-10-26T15:21:56-07:00">October 26th, 3:21pm</time><address><a href="https://www.facebook.com/joey.mistretta/" rel="facebook">Joey Mistretta</a>Joey Mistretta is a Dallas Mavericks beat reporter, Dallas Wings beat reporter and lead MLB editor for ClutchPoints. He is originally from Lake Arrowhead, California. Mistretta graduated from Biola University with a degree in broadcast journalism.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Dallas Mavericks</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>DALLAS — <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/dallas-mavericks/mavericks-news-anthony-davis-cooper-flagg-reminder-debut">Cooper Flagg features the potential of a superstar</a>. The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/dallas-mavericks/mavericks-news-dallas-officially-selects-cooper-flagg-2025-nba-draft">Dallas Mavericks’ 2025 No. 1 overall pick</a> may only be two games into his NBA career, but he’s already displayed serious signs of potential. However, Flagg is still adjusting to the NBA whistle, something head coach Jason Kidd addressed before Sunday’s game against the Toronto Raptors.</p><p>“I don’t think he’s looking for a foul,” Kidd <a href="https://x.com/JoeyMistretta_/status/1982569585430692142" rel="noopener">told reporters</a>. “I think he’s playing the game, if the whistle blows, it blows. Gotta play, he’s not one to put his hands up to ask where a foul is. If he misses it, he runs back on defense. If he makes it, he continues to play the game the right way.</p><p>“He’s too young to worry about the whistle… They don’t know who he is, he doesn’t know who they are. There’s got to be a relationship built there, and that takes time.”</p><p>Flagg, 18, is making a number of adjustments in addition to foul calls at the NBA level. He’s started at point guard in each of his first two NBA contests — a position he did not play in college. Flagg is learning the tendencies and on-court habits of his new Mavericks teammates as well.</p><p>Flagg, like all rookies, has a lot to learn about playing at the professional level. His talent is undeniable, though. He features an impressive overall understanding of the game and his athleticism is off the charts.</p><p>The fact that Flagg plays hard on both ends of the floor — regardless of foul calls — is also a pivotal note. Kidd is clearly a fan of the way Flagg approaches the game.</p><p>Cooper Flagg and the Mavericks will look to earn their first win of the season on Sunday night against the Raptors.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Mavericks’ Jason Kidd reveals Cooper Flagg’s honest reality early in NBA career

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/allen-iverson-advice-dallas-mavericks-rookie-cooper-flagg');   ga('set', 'title', 'Allen Iverson gives advice to Mavs’ rookie Cooper Flagg');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Allen-Iverson-gives-advice-to-Dallas-Mavericks-rookie-Cooper-Flagg.jpg"></figure><h1>Allen Iverson gives advice to Mavs’ rookie Cooper Flagg</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-10-26T08:05:17-07:00">October 26th, 8:05am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-10-26T08:07:15-07:00">October 26th, 8:07am</time><address><a>Autumn Hawkins</a>Autumn Hawkins is an Associate Entertainment Editor at ClutchPoints. She enjoys writing about music, lifestyle, film, and television. When she's not writing, she is trying the newest makeup trend, reading a romance novel, or planning her next trip. She is also a proud member of the BeyHive.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Celebrity</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>From one <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/dallas-mavericks/mavericks-cooper-flagg-predictions-dallas-2025-nba-draft" rel="noopener">No. 1 NBA Draft pick</a> to another, Allen Iverson has some advice for Dallas Mavericks’ rookie Cooper Flagg, as well as others getting their start in the league.</p><p>In a <a href="https://www.tmz.com/2025/10/24/allen-iverson-advice-cooper-flagg-nba-debut/" rel="noopener">conversation</a> with TMZ, Iverson told Flagg to take things “one day at a time.”</p><p>Iverson added that Flagg should leave everything he’s got on the court.</p><p>“The most important thing, and I think this will take care of everything, is playing every game like it’s your last, you know?” Iverson added. “You do that and everything else takes care of itself.”</p><p>The 18-year-old is the<a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/dallas-mavericks/mavericks-news-cooper-flagg-grabs-attention-1-word-post-nba-draft" rel="noopener"> youngest NBA Draft pick</a> since LeBron James in 2003. Following the 2025 NBA Draft, Flagg shared how being drafted to the Dallas Mavericks felt “amazing” and was a “dream come true.”</p><figure class="op-interactive"></figure><p>So far, the Mavs have yet to win a game, but Flagg has been playing well. In his NBA debut on Oct. 22, Flagg got a double-double: 10 points and 10 rebounds against the San Antonio Spurs.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">No idea how Cooper Flagg made this <a href="https://t.co/soxN3jJF0q">pic.twitter.com/soxN3jJF0q</a></p><p>— MFFL NATION (@NationMffl) <a href="https://twitter.com/NationMffl/status/1981205649326325848?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 23, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>On his second game of the year against the Washington Wizards on Oct. 24, Flagg scored 18 points, six assists, and five rebounds.</p><p>“It was <a href="https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/cooper-flagg-accomplishes-lebron-james-like-feat-in-second-nba-start-as-winless-mavericks-look-to-regroup/" rel="noopener">a lot of energy in the building,</a> I thought we were competing at a high level in that fourth quarter and playing the play we want to play,” Flagg said after the Wizards game. “I think we took somewhat of a step in the right direction, but it has to be a lot better. I know I’m kicking myself, I’m not happy and I’m a little upset.”</p><p>“It’s just … I’m competitive. I love to win. It’s not a great start. We’ve got a lot of film to look at, a lot of stuff to look and a lot to improve.”</p><p>While the Mavs have gotten off to a rough start this year, LeBron shared that he believes Flagg is in good hands as he is coached by NBA champion and Hall of Famer Jason Kidd and has several NBA legends as teammates.</p><p>“He has the benefit, unlike myself, he gets to join a team that’s established with Hall of Fame guys — Klay Thompson, Anthony Davis, Kyrie Irving — right off the bat. Hall of Fame coach, Jason Kidd. You know, these guys are like, they can give him the whole blueprint while he continues to learn what his blueprint will be,” LeBron said on his Mind the Game podcast.</p><figure class="op-interactive"></figure><p>“I think that will be an incredible thing to have that type of presence, that type of leadership, that type of just basketball IQ and knowledge around him every single day from those pieces,” LeBron added. “So, I think he’s going to be amazing.”</p><p>The next Mavs game is tonight at 7:30 pm ET against the Toronto Raptors.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Allen Iverson gives advice to Mavs’ rookie Cooper Flagg

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/dallas-mavericks/mavericks-news-cooper-flagg-fire-nico-chants-aac');   ga('set', 'title', 'Mavericks’ Cooper Flagg staying ‘locked in’ despite ‘Fire Nico’ chants at AAC');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Cooper-Flagg_dee92b.jpg"><figcaption>Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Mavericks’ Cooper Flagg staying ‘locked in’ despite ‘Fire Nico’ chants at AAC</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-10-24T21:49:00-07:00">October 24th, 9:49pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-10-25T06:05:50-07:00">October 25th, 6:05am</time><address><a href="https://www.facebook.com/joey.mistretta/" rel="facebook">Joey Mistretta</a>Joey Mistretta is a Dallas Mavericks beat reporter, Dallas Wings beat reporter and lead MLB editor for ClutchPoints. He is originally from Lake Arrowhead, California. Mistretta graduated from Biola University with a degree in broadcast journalism.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Dallas Mavericks</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>DALLAS — The Washington Wizards <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/dallas-mavericks/mavericks-dangelo-russell-problem-snubbed-jason-kidd">defeated the Dallas Mavericks</a> 117-107 on Friday night. Mavs fans made their frustration known toward the end of the game, chanting a familiar two-word expression from last season: “Fire Nico”. Of course, the chant is referencing Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison, who shocked the NBA world by <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/los-angeles-lakers/lakers-news-mavericks-luka-doncic-anthony-davis-trade">trading Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers</a> in February. Dallas’ 0-2 start to the season — including a loss to a Wizards team that is expected to struggle this year — has led to further frustration from an already upset fanbase. It may be unfair, but Cooper Flagg has to endure the chants while on the floor.</p><p>Flagg — who the Mavs selected first overall in the 2025 NBA Draft after surprisingly winning the NBA Draft Lottery — was not part of last year’s team. He only learned of the Doncic trade from a distance, as he was still playing his college basketball at Duke. Yet, on Friday night, some fans voiced their opinion about wanting a new general manager.</p><p>When first asked about the chants after the game, Flagg said he did not even know which chants were being referred to. After being told the chants were saying “Fire Nico”, the Mavs rookie provided a response.</p><p>“I’m just locked in on the game,” Flagg told reporters. “I didn’t even hear those. I’m listening to coach, listening to the guys on the team, the vets. Just trying to figure out as many ways as I can to help the team impact the game in a positive way. I try to tune all that stuff out.”</p><p>Flagg’s response tells a lot about who he is. He may only be 18 years old, but he is extremely mature for his age. The fact that he was “locked in” and didn’t even hear the chants tells how badly he wants to win.</p><p>Mavs head coach Jason Kidd <a href="https://x.com/JoeyMistretta_/status/1981941529175318731" rel="noopener">also addressed the subject</a>, saying that fans have the “right to vent.”</p><p>“I think they have a right to vent,” Kidd said. “This is a different team, this is a new team. Just getting to understand each other, we’re gonna keep learning each other. So I would say be patient, but I understand the frustration. We all want to win, we all want to compete at a high level. This is a game of expression and fans have a right to express themselves. It doesn’t stop us from coming to work tomorrow and getting better and getting ready for Sunday.”</p><p>The Mavericks are hoping to play well on Sunday against the Toronto Raptors. Perhaps a rebound performance will quiet the noise.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Mavericks’ Cooper Flagg staying ‘locked in’ despite ‘Fire Nico’ chants at AAC

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/dallas-mavericks/mavericks-news-cooper-flagg-slam-dunk-vs-wizards');   ga('set', 'title', 'Mavericks’ Cooper Flagg hangs around after slam dunk vs. Wizards');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Cooper-Flagg_c76ba4.jpg"><figcaption>Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Mavericks’ Cooper Flagg hangs around after slam dunk vs. Wizards</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-10-24T20:42:29-07:00">October 24th, 8:42pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-10-24T20:42:29-07:00">October 24th, 8:42pm</time><address><a>Allan Binoy</a>Allan Binoy is a sports journalist who covers the NFL, NCAA Football, and NBA for ClutchPoints. With a deep passion for storytelling and analysis, he brings fans closer to the action by breaking down the biggest moments and storylines across the world of sports.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Dallas Mavericks</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Cooper Flagg dunked through traffic and <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/dallas-mavericks/mavericks-news-watch-cooper-flagg-first-nba-3-pointer">made sure he gave the crowd something to cheer</a>. He hung on the rim, let the moment breathe, and soaked in an electric crowd. The Dallas Mavericks rookie rose above the fray Friday at American Airlines Center, slammed home a two-handed finish, and reminded everyone why he was the No. 1 pick. </p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">COOPER FLAGG HAS ARRIVED 🙌</p><p>What a stretch down the lane for the jam!<a href="https://t.co/wfKlAvq1ak">pic.twitter.com/wfKlAvq1ak</a></p><p>— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPoints/status/1981919072850981293?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 25, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>The Washington Wizards walked out of Dallas with a 117-107 victory, but the lasting image for Mavericks fans came when Flagg followed his monster dunk with the kind of stare-down that says, “I got that.” The 18-year-old’s athleticism is obvious; the dunk was a highlight for highlight reels. But his footwork to create separation and create a lane for the dunk is what won coaches over.</p><p>Dallas had its chances in the fourth. The Mavericks rallied behind a mix of veterans and younger pieces, but Washington’s balanced scoring and timely defense kept them at bay. The Wizards forced turnovers at key moments and finished with enough efficiency on both ends to hold off the late push.</p><p>Flagg finished with a noisy stat line: 18 points, five rebounds, and six assists, though he also committed five turnovers. He scored 11 of those points in the fourth quarter while the Mavericks tried to complete a comeback, underscoring how much Flagg’s game already matters in late-game minutes.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/dallas-mavericks/mavericks-news-cooper-flagg-jason-kidd-unicorn-praise">Dallas coach Jason Kidd and the staff will want more consistency</a> from the roster, and they’ll want to turn moments like Flagg’s into momentum instead of isolated highlights. Still, the slam and the way Flagg lingered afterward offered a small reminder: the Mavericks have a rare athlete who seems built for loud nights and high stakes. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/dallas-mavericks/mavericks-news-jason-kidd-burned-film-loss-spurs">Whether that translates into wins</a> is the next chapter.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Mavericks’ Cooper Flagg hangs around after slam dunk vs. Wizards

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/dallas-mavericks/mavericks-news-watch-cooper-flagg-first-nba-3-pointer');   ga('set', 'title', 'Watch Mavericks’ Cooper Flagg drain his first NBA 3-pointer');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Watch-Cooper-Flagg-drain-his-first-NBA-3-pointer.jpg"><figcaption>Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Watch Mavericks’ Cooper Flagg drain his first NBA 3-pointer</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-10-24T19:38:49-07:00">October 24th, 7:38pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-10-24T20:32:49-07:00">October 24th, 8:32pm</time><address><a>Allan Binoy</a>Allan Binoy is a sports journalist who covers the NFL, NCAA Football, and NBA for ClutchPoints. With a deep passion for storytelling and analysis, he brings fans closer to the action by breaking down the biggest moments and storylines across the world of sports.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Dallas Mavericks</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Dallas Mavericks rookie Cooper Flagg drained his first NBA 3-pointer Friday night and followed it with the kind of all-around hustle that has this building buzzing, even though the Washington Wizards held a 76-65 lead midway through the third quarter. </p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Cooper Flagg pulls up and DRAINS his first NBA 3-pointer 🎯</p><p> <a href="https://t.co/dkAPLxbmHE">pic.twitter.com/dkAPLxbmHE</a></p><p>— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPoints/status/1981887404408779192?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 25, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>The 18-year-old forward pulled up and splashed a triple that briefly injected life into a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/dallas-mavericks/mavericks-news-jason-kidd-cooper-flagg-pg-experiment-continues-to-draw-backlash">Mavericks offense that’s still trying to find its footing after Wednesday’s rough opener</a>. Flagg didn’t just chase scoring; he set up teammates, ran the floor, and came away with a stat line that reflected a rookie handling bigger responsibilities: 7 points, 3 rebounds, and 4 assists in 21 minutes.  </p><p>Washington hasn’t made it easy. Kyshawn George paced the Wizards with 26 points, and the visitors were shooting better overall as they built a double-digit lead in the first half. Still, the Mavericks, led by Anthony Davis’ 16 points and 10 rebounds, kept clawing back, with Flagg’s three serving as a reminder why Dallas invested the No. 1 pick in him.  </p><p>This was never going to be a pure scoring night for Flagg; he’s more of a do-everything prospect out of Duke who wins with versatility. On this night, he flashed that positional polish: a sweet spin for a slam earlier in the game, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/dallas-mavericks/mavericks-news-fans-mixed-feelings-cooper-flagg-nba-debut">a few tidy passes into the paint, and a willingness to mix it up defensively against veterans. </a></p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/dallas-mavericks/mavericks-news-cooper-flagg-jason-kidd-unicorn-praise">Dallas coach Jason Kidd has been careful to temper expectations</a>. Flagg’s role will grow when the situation calls for it, but the first 3-point make is a milestone regardless of the outcome. It gives Flagg and this roster another dimension at the perimeter. That tiny strategic shift could make a difference in a tight Western Conference down the line.  </p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

2025-26 SEASON STATS
PTS	REB	AST	BLK	STL
13.0	5.3	2.5	0.5	1.0

2025-26 SEASON STATS
PTS	REB	AST	BLK	STL
13.0	5.3	2.5	0.5	1.0

Cooper Flagg news

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