‘Playing Free’: Cooper Flagg, Anthony Davis Carry Dallas Mavericks In Thrilling Win Over Denver Nuggets

Grant AfsethDecember 24, 2025December 24, 2025

Anthony Davis, Dallas Mavericks, Nikola Jokić, Denver Nuggets, NBA

Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images

The margin between relief and regret has been razor-thin for the Dallas Mavericks this season, especially when games tighten late. Tuesday night against the Denver Nuggets demanded they live in that space again — only this time, Dallas survived it.

Behind a masterclass from Cooper Flagg and a bruising, stabilizing two-way performance from Anthony Davis, the Mavericks held off Denver 131–130 at American Airlines Center, snapping a two-game losing streak and improving to 12–19. Denver, which entered the night riding an 11-game road winning streak and tied for the NBA’s best road record, left Dallas with a missed corner 3 at the buzzer and an uncomfortable reminder that even a near-perfect rally can still come up short.

Flagg finished with 33 points, nine rebounds, and nine assists — a near triple-double that somehow felt even more natural than it looks on paper. He shot 14-of-21 from the field, knocked down a career-high four 3-pointers in six attempts, and authored the biggest shots and reads of the closing minutes without ever turning the game into a solo act.

Davis matched his tone, totaling 31 points, nine rebounds, and three steals while anchoring key stretches at both ends. And he admitted afterward that he needed a box score to fully appreciate how loud Flagg’s night truly was.

“He’s not good enough to get a triple-double, I guess,” Davis said with a grin. “He’s not there yet. I think I took one of his rebounds, too. But that’s a helluva stat line, especially with a win. I’ve got to congratulate him on that.”

Fast Start for Dallas Mavericks, Early Control

Dallas didn’t tiptoe into the game — it sprinted into it.

The Mavericks opened with crisp spacing and purpose, immediately testing Denver’s coverage with direct downhill attacks and quick decision-making out of early actions. Davis scored first on an alley-oop finish, and Flagg quickly followed with an emphatic dunk of his own, setting a tone that was both physical and confident.

Flagg’s first-quarter line was the kind that changes the temperature in an arena: 14 points on 6-of-6 shooting, including a pair of 3s, plus rebounds, playmaking, and a defensive highlight that signaled his full-game involvement. He blocked a Spencer Jones attempt at the rim, ran the floor, and played with an assertiveness that never drifted into recklessness.

The Mavericks poured in 41 points in the opening period to Denver’s 27, with Flagg making his first seven shots overall before finally missing. Dallas’ offense wasn’t just hot — it was organized. The ball moved, the paint was pressured, and the early looks were clean.

That control escalated in the second quarter. Dallas pushed the lead to 50–29 early in the period, the building buzzing at the idea that a short-handed Mavericks group was overwhelming a Nuggets team built for pressure moments.

Flagg kept stacking efficient possessions. He spaced the floor, slipped into gaps, and finished with patience when the rim was crowded. He also created for others, threading passes in rhythm — one of the quiet tells of a player seeing the game one beat ahead.

By halftime, Flagg had 22 points, and Dallas led 66–56. Denver had already started to stabilize behind Jokic’s orchestration, but the Mavericks had built enough cushion to dictate terms — for the moment.

“Sometimes you just come out and try to execute the game plan,” Flagg said. “I thought we did a good job of that today. We were listening to the coaches and watching the film from the last time we played them and coming out and following our game plan.

“Obviously, it was a back-to-back. It’s not always going to be easy — the legs are tired. I think everybody was tired out there. They were coming off a back-to-back. Just pushing through some of that fatigue and trying to make the right plays, and it worked out.”

Denver Nuggets’ Surge and a Familiar Test

If the first half felt like Dallas writing the script, the third quarter was Denver taking a red pen to it.

The Nuggets detonated for 47 points in the third, turning the game into a sprint and forcing Dallas to absorb wave after wave of execution. The ball zipped side to side. Jokic manipulated help defenders with subtle pivots and delayed reads. Murray stepped into pull-ups and punished switches. And when Dallas overcorrected, Denver’s perimeter shooters found pockets.

Murray finished with 31 points, seven rebounds and 14 assists, controlling tempo like a guard who understands exactly where the pressure points are. Jokic logged 29 points, seven rebounds, 14 assists and three steals, and the shape of his night was familiar: Denver always had a solution because he always had an angle.

Then there was Tim Hardaway Jr., whose shooting turned the quarter into a blur. The former Maverick drilled 7-of-12 from 3, and at one point late in the third he hit four consecutive 3-pointers in a span of just over two minutes, swinging momentum and forcing Dallas into a series of defensive scrambling decisions.

Dallas scored 37 in the third — not exactly a collapse offensively — but the defense couldn’t hold the line. The lead disappeared possession by possession until the game was tied 103–103 entering the fourth.

For Dallas, it was the same stress test that had haunted it in recent losses. The Mavericks had led after three quarters in both Philadelphia and New Orleans, only to watch those games slip with late miscues and defensive droughts.

Jason Kidd saw the pattern and flipped the framing.

“The third quarter was our fourth quarter,” Kidd said. “We kind of got that bad quarter out of the way so that we can respond (in the fourth quarter), and I thought that group responded.

“Understanding, Denver’s been through it. They’re one of the best teams, understanding they were going to make a run. But everybody was positive in the timeouts and on the floor. You could feel the energy. It did not go south.”

Late Execution Decides It

The fourth quarter was the game in its purest form: high-level shot-making, quick decisions, and no wasted possessions.

Denver briefly grabbed its first lead early in the period, and the environment tightened. Every rebound mattered. Every stop felt like a small victory. Dallas had to generate offense against a defense that had fully calibrated.

This is where Flagg’s poise mattered most.

Dallas didn’t just ride him — it trusted him. He created clean outcomes: the right shot, the right pass, the right tempo. And when Denver gave him daylight, he punished it.

With 3:17 left, Flagg drilled his fourth 3-pointer — a contested look from the top of the arc — to push Dallas ahead 126–121, the kind of shot that feels heavier than three points because it shifts belief on both benches.

Then came one of the defining reads of the night: Denver sent extra attention toward Flagg, loading help into his driving lanes, and he calmly whipped the ball to the opposite corner. Naji Marshall was waiting. The 3 dropped with 1:25 remaining, restoring a six-point cushion and forcing Denver into desperation mode.

Davis did what stars do in fragile endings: he stabilized possessions. He found ways to score without forcing, drew contact, and cleaned the glass. He also anchored key defensive moments with positioning and physicality, finishing the night with three steals and a steady presence that kept Dallas organized even when Denver’s pressure rose.

The supporting cast mattered, too — and not just in a “nice contribution” way. Dallas needed functional minutes everywhere because of who wasn’t available.

Marshall finished with 15 points, complementing his late 3 with timely drives and rebounds. Ryan Nembhard delivered 11 points and seven assists, steadying Dallas’ ball movement and consistently getting the team into its sets. Jaden Hardy scored 10 points and provided bursts of downhill pressure that kept Denver’s defense rotating. Caleb Martin, D’Angelo Russell, and Brandon Williams scored nine apiece, each providing a needed lift in different stretches as Kidd navigated a thin rotation.

Still, the game demanded a final stand.

With Dallas up one in the closing seconds, the Mavericks were forced into a shot-clock violation, giving Denver the ball with 7.8 seconds left and a chance to steal a road win that would have been a classic Nuggets escape.

Jokic drew a crowd and made the correct play, finding Peyton Watson in the left corner for a clean, wide-open look. The ball rolled halfway down before spinning out as time expired — the type of miss that looks impossible in slow motion because the arena briefly assumes it’s going in.

“They got a great look,” Kidd said. “We’ve been on the other side of us having those looks and (the ball) not going down. The basketball gods were on our side.”

Dallas Mavericks Win Short-Handed

The result carried extra weight because Dallas didn’t arrive at it with full resources. On the second night of a back-to-back, the Mavericks were without Klay Thompson (left knee soreness), Max Christie (illness), P.J. Washington (right mid-foot soreness), Dwight Powell (illness), Kyrie Irving (knee), Dereck Lively II (foot) and Danté Exum (knee).

Dallas suited up all three two-way players and asked multiple rotation pieces to stretch into expanded roles. Kidd framed it simply: the game required everyone.

“It took the whole roster because we got people sick, people hurt,” Kidd said. “The next man up. Guys came in and executed the game plan and the ball started falling for us.

“Understanding, we know Denver is one of the best teams in the league and they made a run. We’ve been in so many close games here. Just the experience of understanding what we needed to do late (was helpful), and we executed and the ball fell our way.”

Davis also highlighted the balance Dallas is trying to strike with Flagg — letting him be great without burning him out.

“He got off to a hot start early and just kind of kept it going and was taking what the defense gave him,” Davis said of Flagg. “He’s been playing well all season for us to be honest. It’s our job to kind of keep him open and set screens for him, or give him the ball and let him work in his spaces that he likes, but also give him a break. We don’t want to wear him down too much.”

Flagg, meanwhile, pointed to the simplest explanation for his best nights — the one that shows up in the looseness of his decision-making and the way the game slows down around him.

“Just having fun,” Flagg said. “I think I’m at my best when I’m playing free and having fun. So, I just try to keep everybody involved, keep the energy high and just have fun.”

Dallas will carry that feeling into its Christmas Day matchup at Golden State — a quick turnaround, but the type that feels lighter when it’s backed by a win like this. The Mavericks didn’t just beat Denver. They answered their own recent questions about late-game execution, absorbed a third-quarter avalanche, and still found the right plays at the right time.

And in the middle of all of it, Flagg looked exactly like what the Mavericks believe he is becoming: a player who can own a night without needing to announce it.

Latest Dallas Mavericks News & NBA Rumors

Grant Afseth

Senior Writer

Grant Afseth is a Senior Writer for DallasHoopsJournal.com, where he leads in-depth coverage of the Mavericks, Wings, and more. Between a focus on the latest news, closer looks at games, front office strategy, and more, Afseth provides objective coverage. Afseth contributes broader NBA coverage across platforms and has been cited in national outlets for his reporting and analysis. With nearly a decade of journalism experience, Afseth has covered the NBA and WNBA for multiple major outlets, including Athlon Sports, BallIsLife, Sportskeeda, and RG.org. He previously reported on the Indiana Pacers for CNHI’s Kokomo Tribune and the Mavericks for FanNation.

view all posts

Archives

‘Playing Free’: Cooper Flagg, Anthony Davis Carry Dallas Mavericks In Thrilling Win Over Denver Nuggets

Fast Start for Dallas Mavericks, Early Control