The Dallas Mavericks (2-2) defeated the Miami Heat, 113-109 on Monday night. It was a team effort; P.J. Washington was huge, Zaccharie Risacher hustled, Walter Clayton Jr. shined, and Daniel Gafford battled. But no performance was more important than Cooper Flagg’s.
I use the word performance intentionally, because his fourth quarter was nothing short of wildly entertaining. Against a team with a former MVP, multiple All-Stars, and a championship-winning coach, Cooper Flagg looked like the most important
person in the building. It gave me a hunger for something we haven’t been able to enjoy in over two-and-a-half years: seeing the Mavericks’ young superstar play playoff basketball.
It’s also worth noting that through the first week of the season, Flagg leads the universe in player efficiency rating, according to Basketball Reference.
Over the last six minutes of the fourth quarter on Monday, Flagg scored or assisted on 14 of the 16 Mavericks points. In fact, he had 12 of those himself. You could see a gear shift; he started getting downhill at will and finishing with both hands. He hit a spin-fade jumper over Pelle Larson with a foul and made the free throw. He was just one-for-seven from 3-point range in the game before nailing his second long-distance shot with two minutes left. He drove past Giannis Antetokounmpo and scored.
But his best sequence, which came at the most important time, was blocking Andrew Wiggins on a corner 3-point attempt and laying it in on the other end to extend the lead to four for good. It wasn’t just a great fourth quarter; it was a complete takeover.
Everything about it was awesome. Flagg’s demeanor was serious and intentional. The whole team fed off his energy, and they got the stops on defense when they had to. He looked like an alpha, number one option. The Heat have three excellent defenders in Wiggins, Antetokounmpo, and Bam Adebayo, and none of them could prevent Flagg from getting to his spots. In real time, you knew what you were watching: a 19-year-old kid announcing to the world that he is one of the best players in the sport. It was almost as if every shot he made let you know that losing was no longer an option. Flagg wants to win, and he wants to win now.
It felt like Dallas was playing meaningful basketball again. The feeling I got as Flagg was closing this game out was similar to the one I had when Luka Doncic hit the game-winning three over Rudy Gobert in 2024. There is a sense of sureness with guys like Flagg; you know when the going gets tough, and the game is tight, your guy will have the nails to keep the ship afloat.
And while it made winning game four of 82 a lot more fun, that isn’t what Flagg has his eyes set on. He was made for a bigger moment; he is wired for the playoffs. We got a taste of what a Flagg-led postseason could look like, but I have a feeling we won’t have to wait much longer to see the real thing.
