The Dallas Mavericks (6-4) defeated the Brooklyn Nets (2-8), 130-93 in a Sunday evening matchup at the American Airlines Center. The win over the Nets marks the Mavericks’ second straight win and follows Friday night’s 112-100 win over the Utah Jazz in NBA Cup Group Play.
Dereck Lively, Tarik Biberovic, and Sergio de Larrea were out for Dallas. Egor Demin and Mikel Brown Jr. were notably absent for Brooklyn.
Cooper Flagg led the Mavericks with 25 points and 12 assists. Kyrie Irving added 21 points.
Michael Porter Jr. contributed 19 points for the Nets.
Here are three numbers to know from Sunday evening’s win.
40%: Dallas’ 3-point shooting
The Mavericks shot efficiently from the floor this evening, making 14-of-35 shots from behind the arc. The Mavericks are a better team when they are hitting their threes and not trying to force them up. Though against a less-talented and less-experienced team, the Mavericks won both the field goal and three-point percentage advantages. Dallas took care of a team that was a scheduled win and will need to carry their efficient night from the field into their next matchup.
18/3: Daniel Gafford points, blocks
Daniel Gafford had an active showing for the Mavericks, finishing with 18 points, three offensive rebounds, and a season-high three blocks. Gafford’s ability to finish at the rim at an efficient rate and his shot-blocking abilities have allowed him to have a nice start to the season as the Mavericks’ starting center. He has improved his efficiency this season and built on-court chemistry with Flagg, scoring on five of his assists for 10 points this evening. Gafford has been able to impact the game in a way he once did for the previous iteration of the Mavericks, allowing the Mavericks to stay afloat at the center position as Lively continues to rehab from his injury.
12: Cooper Flagg career high in assists
After an outing last week that served as a reminder that Flagg is still 19 years old, Flagg finished with an emphatic 25 points, 5 rebounds, and a career-high 12 assists. Notably, he shot 8-of-13 from the field in the win over the Nets, an improvement from his 17-of-54 (31.5%) field goals made in the Mavericks’ three games last week. He played more decisively tonight on offense, highlighting his passing abilities and shooting 3-of-5 from behind the arc. Though the Nets are a borderline G League team, Flagg was able to completely dismantle their defense. When Flagg is playing confidently, he is one of the league’s best players, and tonight’s outing will give him the motivation to carry his performance into Monday night’s matchup with Indiana.
Up next
Try not to miss them for too long; the Mavericks will be back in action Monday night as they host the Pacers. Tune in to KFAA-TV and Mavs TV at 7 p.m. CT to catch the matchup.
