DALLAS — Cooper Flagg he had to hold back a frown as he swapped shirts with his former teammate Derick Queen after the two rookie lottery picks first met as NBA opponents earlier this month. That's because Flagg was upset about missing a potential pull-up jumper in the final seconds of the fight. Dallas Mavericks» loss to the Queens Pelicans that night.
But Flagg was all smiles as he exchanged hugs with Queen after the bell Friday night as the No. 1 overall pick had just scored 12 of his career-high 29 points in the fourth quarter to lead the Mavs to a 118-115 comeback victory at American Airlines Center.
In this case, it was Queen who missed an opportunity to tie the game in the final seconds with a 3-pointer on the Pelicans' final possession. It was a brutal ending to a phenomenal performance by Queen, who finished with 20 points, seven rebounds and a career-high 11 assists.
“I [saw] he laughs at me,” Queen said of his postgame meeting with Flagg, his former teammate at Montverde Academy in Florida. “That’s probably what he was laughing at, but hey, it’s crazy. Full circle.”
Flagg, who missed Wednesday's loss to New York Knicks with illness, was a dominant force against the Pelicans. After Queen's hook shot gave New Orleans the lead with 3:12 remaining, Flagg scored or assisted on five of the Mavs' final eight possessions. He had six points and two assists on the final drive, including a serve to Nazi Marshal for a 3 that put the Mavs ahead for good with 32 seconds left.
While the 5-12 Mavs had trouble finishing games, Flagg consistently showed fearlessness late in games. He is tied for sixth in the league with 31 points on 10-of-16 shooting in clutch situations, defined as the final five minutes of regulation or overtime, with the score within five points. He's also tied for second in rebounds (14) and fifth in clutch assists (six).
“Grab [situations]”He's not afraid,” Mavs coach Jason Kidd said. “We give him the ball and it feels like he’s been there before. Being able to score when you need a bucket, when everyone knows you're coming to him, it's thoughtful. For an 18-year-old guy, that's something special.”
Dallas had to rally from a 15-point deficit, in part because Queen, 20, gave the Mavs problems, especially with his passing. He made seven assists in the first quarter alone.
“Everyone could see he was just a special player,” Flagg said. “He has a special approach of just finding his teammates and just finding shots at the rim. It's truly incredible.”
The Mavs trailed by 14 points at the half when Kidd suggested Flagg attack the paint instead of relying on his jumper, which is a work in progress.
Flagg responded by scoring 21 points on 8-for-9 shooting in the second half. All but one of his buckets after the break came in the paint, the exception being a turnaround jump shot after he caught the ball on the block and spun.
“I settled for jump shots too much,” Flagg said. “It’s not that they’re bad shooters, it’s just that they decide too much. We need to put more pressure on the defense.”
Flagg finished with 20 points in the paint, becoming the second-youngest NBA player to do so, according to ESPN Research. LeBron James scored 20 points in a game when he was 18 years, 334 days old, a day younger than Flagg on Friday night.
Flagg, who had seven rebounds and five assists, also joined James as the only 18-year-olds with at least 25 points, five rebounds and five assists in a game.
“He's turning into who we all know him to be,” Mavs forward. PJ Washington (24 points, nine rebounds) Flagg said. “Just be yourself, accept the important moments and realize yourself. Getting to the paint, getting to my spots and making the right decision every time.”
