Jason Kidd called it a character check. His team passed. Less than 48 hours after being blown out at home by 33 points, the Dallas Mavericks walked into Rocket Arena on Sunday afternoon and handed the Cleveland Cavaliers a 130-120 defeat that looked nothing like what happened Friday at American Airlines Center.
The Mavericks played faster, moved the ball better, competed harder, and got historic performances from three different players in one of their most complete efforts of the season.
Cooper Flagg posted 27 points, 6 rebounds, 10 assists, and 2 blocks for his 10th double-double of the season — joining Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Kevin Johnson, and Derik Queen as the only rookies in NBA history to post those numbers in a single game. At 19 years and 84 days old, Flagg also became the second-youngest player in NBA history to record a regular-season game with 25-plus points, 5-plus rebounds, and 10-plus assists. Only LeBron James, who accomplished the feat at 18 years and 355 days old on Dec. 20, 2003 in Chicago, was younger.
P.J. Washington started at center and produced one of the most unusual stat lines in Mavericks history. Naji Marshall was efficient in scoring and playmaking from start to finish. And John Poulakidas, a two-way player who had never scored an NBA point entering Sunday, made three consecutive scoring plays that blew the game open — beginning with back-to-back 3-pointers, followed by a mid-range jumper after attacking downhill.
Dallas led by as many as 22 points, shot 53% from the field and 50% from 3-point range, and finished with 35 assists. The Mavericks improved to 23-45 on the season. Cleveland fell to 41-27.
“I thought the energy, the effort, the physicality — the things that we talked about — knowing we didn’t play our best at home,” Kidd said. “We had an opportunity to come back, and the group played at a very high level this afternoon. This was a character check, and everybody checked in and passed.”
The Blueprint: Physicality, Ball Movement, and Playing Fast
Friday’s film told an ugly story. Cleveland attacked the rim at will, kicking out to shooters who punished every rotation. Kidd had seen enough on tape to know what needed to change. His team handled it early.
“We did a great job in the first quarter setting the tone. Everyone was touching the ball. We had 35 assists tonight — that’s terrific. Our offense trickled into our defense and we were getting the stops when we needed to,” Poulakidas said.
Dallas took the first quarter 35-31 and never let Cleveland get comfortable. Eleven of those assists came in the first 12 minutes. By halftime, it was 60-59, and a dominant 40-27 third quarter settled matters. Khris Middleton finished with 5 points and 5 rebounds in 24 minutes. Marvin Bagley III grabbed 5 rebounds to go with 6 points in 16 minutes. Caleb Martin added 5 points in 18 minutes off the bench as Dallas got contributions across the roster throughout.
“I think it’s something I talked about after the game the other night — our physicality,” Flagg said. “I thought we had a much better presence on that side of the ball defensively and kind of stood them up a little bit. I thought we just played with a lot better pace tonight. The ball was moving, a lot of energy.”
Poulakidas, in his first extended NBA action, said the identity shift from Friday was the foundation of everything that followed.
“Our physicality. When a team shoots 60-plus percent from the field, it’s going to be hard to win that type of game,” he said. “That was the biggest thing for us — taking pride on the defensive end. Sometimes people lose sight of how much your offense trickles down into your defense. When everyone is touching the ball, and it’s moving side to side, and everyone feels involved, it makes everybody want to guard on the other end.”
Cooper Flagg Makes History in Cleveland
This was not the setting most would choose for a historic performance — a 3:30 p.m. local tip-off in Cleveland on the first game of a back-to-back, two days after a blowout loss. Flagg did not seem to notice the circumstances. He was everywhere on Sunday. The 27 points came on a variety of shot types, including an early step-back that reflected work he said he has put in all season with skill coach Matt McKenzie.
“Being comfortable with the ball in my hands is something I’ve worked on a lot this year — creating space and finding my shots,” Flagg said. “Sometimes you just have to take space where it is and get to the open spot.”
Mobley is long, switchable, and difficult — Flagg kept it simple.
“You just have to take what the defense gives you. Mobley is a good defender — he’s long and really tall,” he said. “Just take what he gives me. Obviously, he’s going to give me some cushion because of his length. Just finding space and raising up.”
The 10 assists were the result of defenses keying on Flagg and paying for it. Dallas’s small-ball lineup created constant motion, and Flagg consistently made the right read when help arrived. Kidd has closely watched the evolution of a passer and sees it as one of the most encouraging developments of the second half of the season.
“I think he understands how to play the game. Playmaking is something lately he’s been able to do — finding his teammates and driving, understanding he’s going to see a crowd,” Kidd said. “Because of that he understands someone is open, and he’s making all the right decisions right now.”
His most dominant stretch came early in the fourth quarter with Dallas protecting a lead. In a 90-second sequence, Flagg converted a driving layup, drew a foul from Dean Wade for a free throw, hit a 14-foot pull-up jumper, blocked a James Harden floater, grabbed the rebound, and found Ryan Nembhard for a 3-pointer at the 9:07 mark that pushed the lead to 20. Nembhard finished with 11 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 assists in 24 minutes, posting a plus-15 rating. Max Christie was sharp in limited action right alongside him, shooting 3-of-4 from 3-point range for 9 points in just 9 minutes.
Washington has watched Flagg grow all season and offered the most unfiltered assessment of what Sunday’s performance meant.
“Ten assists — he’s basically just being a point guard at his size. He’s amazing. He’s so young, and the future is just so bright for him,” Washington said. “I want to play the rest of my career with him.”
For Flagg, Sunday continued to validate the recovery work he has been putting in since returning from a left midfoot sprain that cost him three weeks.
“I feel great. Every day I’m feeling better and better and just getting back into a rhythm,” he said. “I’m glad to be back out there fighting with the guys night in and night out and just finding my rhythm.”
P.J. Washington’s Move to the Five Changes Everything
The most consequential adjustment of the game was Kidd’s decision to start Washington at center. With Gafford resting and Lively out for the season, Dallas needed a different answer for Cleveland’s interior — and Washington provided it in historic fashion.
He finished with 20 points on 8-of-16 shooting, 11 rebounds, 5 steals, and a block, joining Mark Aguirre and Roy Tarpley as the only players in Mavericks history to record at least 20 points, 10 rebounds, 5 steals, and 1 block in a single game. His first half was even more extraordinary — 14 points, 6 rebounds (5 offensive), and 5 steals before halftime, making him just the third player in the play-by-play era (since 1996-97) to post those numbers in a single half, joining Jerome Williams and Tom Gugliotta.
Washington came in knowing exactly where Cleveland’s offense wanted to go.
“Just trying to be aggressive in pick-and-roll. I knew Harden was going to be looking for Mobley early, so just trying to put my hands in there and be active,” he said.
Before tip-off, Kidd had made clear that Washington’s return from left ankle soreness changed what Dallas could do on both ends.
“Getting P.J. back helps us. He’s a wing defender, another threat shooting the three, and someone who can help us on that end,” Kidd said.
Washington walked through why the position switch worked so well offensively and why it was difficult for Cleveland to solve.
“I think I’m a mismatch. I can create for others, I can pass, I can set screens and pop. It’s not really what happens every day in the NBA — it’s a lot of rolling centers,” he said. “Me at the five popping opened up a lot of space on the floor for us to get some closeouts and ball reversals to get some good shots. I think it was good for us.”
Marshall said the smaller, quicker lineup changed the entire pace of the game.
“The smaller and quicker lineup,” he said of the advantages Washington at center created. “Play faster. That’s really about it.”
The guard-to-guard screens that Washington’s presence enabled put Cleveland’s defense in constant conflict. With Washington spacing the floor from the center position rather than camping near the basket, Dallas could run ball handlers off screens and force Cleveland’s weaker perimeter defenders — often a big man who had been pulled away from the paint — into coverage situations they were not built for. On Friday, the Cavaliers had used the same concept against Dallas to generate open 3s and dribble penetration the Mavericks had no answer for. Sunday, Dallas flipped the script.
Marshall said those actions put Cleveland in impossible positions all night.
“Just put some defense at a disadvantage,” he said. “I think it’s really good for our guys, a lot of guys to get downhill, open up a lane, create a drop lane, be able to make reads for other guys like our shooters.”
The defensive versatility that came with the smaller lineup was equally important, Marshall said.
“Switch one through five. More physical, a little bit bigger when far. Rebounding and just getting out, playing fast,” he said.
Flagg explained how many problems those actions created on the offensive end.
“That’s something we’ve worked on a lot throughout the year — finding mismatches in those actions. It’s hard to guard,” he said. “If they try to switch, you can roll out and get a pass over the top. If they switch, you get a matchup you like. If they don’t switch, you can get downhill. There are a lot of different options. Especially tonight we had a lot of like-sized guys out there, so just being fluid and playing fast was definitely to our advantage.”
Kidd confirmed that the game-planning for those actions came directly from studying what Cleveland did to Dallas on Friday.
“Being able to look at what Cleveland did to us, we felt maybe we could do that tonight. Playing P.J. at the small five and being able to stretch — having him in the corner or above the break — trying to get Mobley away from the basket, because he’s a great defender,” Kidd said. “Understanding that small-ball lineup was really good, and hopefully we can build on this.”
Washington was straightforward about the mindset coming in after Friday’s result.
“I felt like they brought it to us in Dallas. They played a lot tougher than we did and they wanted it more,” he said. “We had a chip on our shoulder coming out here and just played together, played harder than we did in Dallas, and just see what happens.”
Kidd pointed to Washington’s rebounding as equally important as any offensive contribution.
“Great hands. Maybe underestimated as a shot blocker. But again, being able to rebound the ball for us tonight — you look, he had a double-double,” Kidd said. “That’s something we’ve struggled with lately, being able to rebound the ball and giving up offensive rebounds. He really did a great job for us tonight.”
Flagg said the adjustment changed the game’s complexion immediately.
“P.J. is such a versatile guy. He’s willing to do whatever it takes out there and he’s so strong,” Flagg said. “It helped us with our coverages and just flying around the court and speeding up on both sides of the ball. I thought that was huge tonight.”
Washington framed the result in terms of what this team can be when it plays the right way.
“It just shows us who we can be when we’re healthy and playing the right way,” he said. “We’re just trying to establish some unity and establish how we want to play. I think it was a good start for us tonight.”
Naji Marshall Delivers One of His Best Performances of the Season
Naji Marshall was excellent in a role that went beyond scoring. He finished with 25 points on 8-of-12 shooting, 8-of-8 at the free-throw line, 5 rebounds, 7 assists, and a steal. It was his seventh 25-point game of the season and the 11th of his career — all 11 coming over the past two seasons with Dallas.
Kidd said the lineup unlocked Marshall’s full offensive toolkit, noting how his role as a secondary decision-maker elevated the entire offense.
“Naji handling, being involved in decisions, being the second or third handler out there with Ryan and Coop definitely helped,” Kidd said. “But I thought his ability to roll and for our guys to find one another — the ball moved a lot more than it has here in the past.”
Marshall described how he reads defenses that try to take away Dallas’s driving lanes and turns those opportunities into quality shots for his teammates.
“Teams are going to play us kind of shrink because of how much we drive,” he said. “So just reading the low man and the help guy and trying to get shots for my teammates.”
Washington has seen Marshall’s game expand up close over two seasons together and offered a detailed assessment of how far it has come.
“Me playing these past two years with him, I think he’s really worked on his game and it shows,” Washington said. “He’s been consistent for us since he got here. His game has really expanded — he can playmake, get downhill, get to his floater, get to the free-throw line, and he can shoot. His game is evolving and it’s great to see him grow each and every game.”
John Poulakidas Scores First NBA Points, Blows the Game Open
The sequence that decided Sunday’s game did not come from Flagg or Washington or Marshall. It came from John Poulakidas, a 24-year-old Yale graduate on a two-way contract who had never scored an NBA point entering Sunday.
“Feels great. Just a dream come true,” Poulakidas said. “I worked very hard for it, and I’m glad I could capitalize on my opportunity today and that we got the win.”
Poulakidas provided a spark, scoring 8 straight points during a late third-quarter stretch that pushed the lead to double figures. He finished with 10 points on 4-of-6 shooting in 15 minutes and received the game ball from his teammates in the locker room afterward. Brandon Williams added 12 points and 5 assists in 24 minutes, providing another reliable option off the bench as Dallas’s depth held up through the back-to-back.
“Seeing that first three go down felt great. Obviously, I missed my first two, and I had honestly just been itching since the first minute I played against Charlotte to knock that first one down for us,” Poulakidas said. “To see one fall, let alone two, was great. Then we blew the game open in that third quarter, so obviously the most important thing is getting the win, and that’s what we did.”
Staying confident through the misses was the key to the run, he explained.
“I take pride in being an efficient shooter, so if I miss my first two, I know one of them is going to drop pretty soon,” he said. “Just continuing to find windows and make myself available to guys so I can put us in a position to be successful on the offensive end.”
Poulakidas credited his time with the Texas Legends — Dallas’s G League affiliate — with giving him the confidence to perform when the moment arrived.
“The biggest thing Coach Hooper and the Legends stressed to me in my short time there was just to be myself,” Poulakidas said. “Thankfully the last couple games with them I was finding some rhythm, and it gave me more confidence out here today because it’s a very similar system. Getting those reps was big for me the last few days.”
He described what Flagg said after the first bucket fell.
“He congratulated me and basically told me the floodgates were open now,” Poulakidas said. “Playing with Cooper is great because he’s someone who can get me a lot of shots, and I’m hoping I can do the same for him by taking one more defender away from him.”
Flagg had a simple message for Poulakidas before he got going.
“I just told him to go out there and play, be confident in his shot, and take the shots when they’re open,” Flagg said. “He did a great job being aggressive and finding his looks. He can shoot it for sure. He can impact the game in a lot of ways, but putting the ball in the basket is a big one.”
Kidd was direct about what the rookie provided off the bench.
“John was great. Just looking at his energy — he competed on defense. And then offensively, what he gives us is something that we needed,” he said.
In a detail that added a layer to Sunday’s result, Poulakidas said he had reached out to Max Strus before tip-off — a connection that goes back years.
“Max is an elite shooter. It’s funny — we’re both from the suburbs of Chicago. I’ve actually been training with him the last several summers since my freshman year at Yale,” he said. “This was a very surreal moment for me. I hit him up before the game and got his jersey from him because he’s somebody I’ve looked up to and tried to model my game after as a floor spacer and sniper.”
Cleveland Cavaliers Could Not Overcome Turnover Troubles
Donovan Mitchell led Cleveland with 26 points and 12 assists. Evan Mobley, who had torched Dallas for 29 points on Friday, was held to 18 points on limited attempts with Washington anchoring the interior. Harden, acquired from the Los Angeles Clippers last month, finished with just 13 points on 4-of-12 shooting and committed 6 turnovers. Strus came off the bench for 24 points on 6-of-7 shooting from 3-point range.
The Cavaliers committed 16 turnovers, which Dallas converted into 27 points. Cleveland also shot just 14-of-21 from the free-throw line.
Up Next
The Dallas Mavericks close out a two-game road trip Monday night in New Orleans on the second night of a back-to-back. Kidd indicated the rotation could change but offered no specifics.
“We have no idea. We’ll let you know at game time what we look like. Most likely there could be a change — maybe, maybe not,” he said.
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