The Dallas Mavericks just laid a serious beatdown on the Brooklyn Nets, pulling off a dominant 130-93 victory on Sunday night at the American Airlines Center. This wasn’t just any win, either. It was the Mavericks’ second straight, building on their 112-100 NBA Cup Group Play win over the Utah Jazz, and it showed what this team can really do when they’re clicking. Dallas is now sitting at 6-4, while the Nets are struggling at 2-8.
Cooper Flagg Drops a Career Night
Man, Cooper Flagg showed up tonight! After an outing last week that reminded everyone he’s still only 19 years old, Flagg came back with an emphatic 25 points, 5 rebounds, and a career-high 12 assists. Seriously, that’s a new personal best for assists, and he looked sharp doing it. He shot 8-of-13 from the field, which is a massive improvement from his 17-of-54 (31.5%) shooting performance over the last three games. He was decisive, highlight reel passing, and even knocked down 3-of-5 from behind the arc. Let’s be real, the Nets are a borderline G League team right now, but Flagg completely dismantled their defense. When this kid plays with confidence, he’s one of the league’s best, and this kind of performance should give him all the motivation he needs. Kyrie Irving was right there with him, adding 21 points to the scoreboard.
Gafford’s Dominance and That Sweet Stroke From Deep
It wasn’t just Flagg running the show, though. Daniel Gafford had himself an active night for the Mavericks. He finished with 18 points, grabbed three offensive rebounds, and swatted away a season-high three blocks. Gafford’s ability to finish efficiently at the rim and his shot-blocking skills have really given him a nice start to the season as the starting center. He’s improved his efficiency big time and built some serious on-court chemistry with Flagg, scoring 10 points off five of Flagg’s assists tonight. While Dereck Lively continues his rehab, Gafford is impacting the game in a way that’s keeping this Mavericks center position afloat, which is huge.
The whole squad was feeling it from deep too! Dallas shot 40% from three-point range, hitting 14-of-35 shots from behind the arc. When the Mavericks are knocking down their threes and not forcing things, they’re just a better team. They clearly had the advantage in both field goal and three-point percentages against a less-talented and less-experienced Nets squad. It was a scheduled win, but taking care of business efficiently like this is exactly what you want to see.
Don’t miss them for too long, because the Mavericks are back in action Monday night! They’re hosting the Indiana Pacers, and after a performance like this, you know they’re going to want to carry that efficiency and momentum right into the next game. If Flagg keeps playing with this kind of decisive swagger, the Pacers better be ready.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Mavs Moneyball.
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