DHJ Quick Take
- Historic Half: Cooper Flagg erupted for 20 points in the first 19 minutes against the Portland Trail Blazers—his 11th career 20-point half, which is more than the rest of this year’s rookie class combined, per Elias Sports Bureau.
- Rhythm Restored: Flagg acknowledged the difficulty of rediscovering his elite form after a left midfoot sprain sidelined him for eight games in February; Friday’s performance was the clearest sign yet that the “hunting” version of the rookie has returned.
- Veteran Buy-In: In an exclusive conversation with Dallas Hoops Journal, P.J. Washington revealed the locker room made a conscious decision to “ride out” Flagg’s hot hand in the first half—a level of trust typically reserved for established stars
PORTLAND, Ore. — By halftime, Cooper Flagg had already put together one of the most dominant first halves the rookie class of 2025-26 has seen from anyone. He recorded 20 points on 7-of-11 shooting and six free throws made without a miss, all in just 19 minutes. It was his 11th career 20-point half, which is more than the rest of this year’s entire rookie class combined, per Elias Sports Bureau.
The Dallas Mavericks did not need the second half to know what they had watched. Neither did everyone else in the building.
Flagg finished with 24 points, four steals, and a plus-3 in 38 minutes as Dallas snapped a five-game losing streak with a 100-93 win — holding the Portland Trail Blazers to 93 points, a season low for the Mavericks’ defense. He was not simply running hot from the perimeter. He was hunting.
Dallas Mavericks Veterans ‘Ride Out’ the Hot Hand
Flagg attacked from the opening possession, probing the Blazers’ defense off the dribble, getting downhill before Portland could set their feet, and drawing fouls when they tried to cut him off at the rim. The veterans around him saw it immediately and responded with a simple directive: stay out of his way.
“Just him being aggressive, being downhill,” P.J. Washington told Dallas Hoops Journal. “He hit some floaters, some mids, and his shot was falling, so we just tried to ride him out the whole first half. He did a great job. Obviously, in the second half, he kind of slowed up, but we’re here to pick him up.”
That dynamic — veterans reading a younger player’s rhythm and consciously feeding it — is not something that happens automatically in an NBA locker room. It is earned. Flagg has earned it.
“I thought we just did a good job getting spaced out there, and everybody was holding their space well,” Flagg said. “I thought it allowed me to kind of get loose a couple times and get some easy ones, and then settle in nicely.”
Marvin Bagley III, who finished with 26 points and nine rebounds of his own, framed Flagg’s impact in structural terms.
“He was aggressive. That’s what you like to see from a guy with his talent — making it hard for the defense to guard and forcing them to make decisions,” Bagley said. “He was able to get downhill, get some layups, some floaters, some steals. He was very impactful — not just in the first half, but the whole game. You love to see that.”
Cooper Flagg Details Overcoming the Midfoot Sprain
Flagg entered the season as the heavy favorite for Rookie of the Year and played like it. Before a left midfoot sprain in February cost him eight games, he was in the midst of a historic tear that peaked on Jan. 29 against the Charlotte Hornets.
On the same night the Dallas Mavericks retired the No. 24 jersey of franchise legend Mark Aguirre, Flagg delivered a performance for the ages. He exploded for 49 points, breaking the franchise rookie scoring record of 42 points previously held by Aguirre himself. The 49-point eruption also set the NBA record for points by a teenager, making him the first rookie to record a 49-point, 10-rebound game since Michael Jordan in 1984-85.
Across a four-game stretch in early February, Flagg averaged 27.3 points and 6.3 assists, proving he had mastered the speed of the professional game. When he returned from injury in March, the counting stats remained respectable, but the elite “feel” had been interrupted. Flagg did not dodge that reality when asked about it after Friday’s win in Portland.
“I thought before I got hurt, I had an incredible rhythm, and everything was just feeling — I don’t want to say easy — but just a great rhythm,” Flagg said. “It’s great when you have rhythm out there. When I came back, it was tough just getting your foot back in and getting your rhythm back. But I feel like lately I’ve started to get that rhythm back a little bit. My teammates have done a great job helping me, being supportive, and helping me in as many ways as possible out there.”
That self-awareness is notable for a 19-year-old navigating his first significant professional injury. He did not blame the minutes restriction. He did not point to the team’s record. He identified the specific thing that had been missing and named it plainly. Friday night in Portland, he found it.
Setting the Tone on Both Ends
Head coach Jason Kidd did not let the moment pass without contextualizing what Flagg’s first half meant for the group. The Mavericks have played competitive basketball against playoff teams for weeks without pulling out close games. Friday broke that pattern, and Kidd traced the turning point directly to his youngest player’s aggression in the opening 24 minutes.
“He’s our leader,” Kidd said. “For him to set the tone by scoring 20 in the first half, and then let others do it in the second, it just shows great leadership and poise. Being able to do it on both ends is big for a rookie.”
Flagg is averaging 20.4 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 4.6 assists across 62 games this season. The counting stats are one thing. The willingness to impose himself on a game when the team needs it, then step back when others need their moment, is something coaches typically spend years trying to teach.
“I’ve felt the support the whole year, and I think they’ve put me in incredible positions to succeed out there,” Flagg said. “I think that’s what it comes down to — just me going out there and being myself. I said that at the start of the year — if I go out there and be myself, I can kind of drown out the pressure and whatever other people are saying, and everything else will work itself out if I just play to my capabilities.”
Friday in Portland, that is exactly what it looked like.
More Cooper Flagg Coverage on Dallas Hoops Journal
- ‘We Don’t Talk About Rookie Of The Year’: Cooper Flagg And Kon Knueppel Keep Duke Brotherhood Above The Race
- Dallas Mavericks Coach Jason Kidd Calls Cooper Flagg The ‘Clear-Cut’ NBA Rookie Of The Year
- ‘I Can Learn A Lot From Him’: Cooper Flagg Reacts To Nikola Jokić’s Historic Game Against Dallas Mavericks
- ‘I’ve Learned A Lot’: Khris Middleton Is Helping Cooper Flagg Grow As A Professional Scorer
- Cooper Flagg Passes Kevin Durant And Luka Dončić With Eighth Career 30-Point Game
- ‘I Like Making The Right Play’: Cooper Flagg Shows Decision‑Making Beyond His Years As NBA’s Youngest Player
- Cooper Flagg Passes Luka Dončić For Second‑Most 15‑5‑5 Games By A Teenager In NBA History
