Cooper Flagg gave the Target Center crowd a jolt Thursday night, even if the rest of the evening belonged to LaMelo Ball and the Minnesota Timberwolves.
In transition, Flagg pushed the ball up the floor, turned on the jets and went straight at the rim. Ball initially loaded up for a block, then backed off as the 19-year-old forward rose and hammered it down. It was the kind of downhill finish that reminds everyone why Flagg draws so much attention.
That moment, though, was one of the few bright spots for Dallas. Neither Flagg nor the Mavericks had much going in the first half against Minnesota, and the Wolves only tightened their grip from there. By the second half, Minnesota had built a 30-plus-point lead and was rolling toward its fifth straight win.
COOPER FLAGG SLAMS IT DOWN WITH AUTHORITY 😤 pic.twitter.com/yHXIS7ygXN
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) November 13, 2026
Ball was a major reason why. The big offseason acquisition got the better of his fellow Rookie of the Year winner more than once and kept pouring it on against a Dallas defense that had no answers. Even with No. 32 on the wrong end of that poster, Ball still controlled the action.
Minnesota did it without Anthony Edwards, too.
For Dallas, the loss doesn’t erase the bigger picture. The Mavericks have made encouraging progress early in the season, and a returning Kyrie Irving should help lift their win total.
But the real measuring stick is still No. 32.
Through his first 10 games, Flagg has averaged 25.9 points, 6.9 rebounds and 6.9 assists while shooting 50.0 percent from the field and 29.2 percent from 3-point range.
The Mavs will try to take something from the beating and move on as they continue their three-game road trip. Cleveland and Boston are waiting next, and neither one figures to make life easier.
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