DHJ Quick Take: The Blueprint for Success
- Systematic Execution: P.J. Washington identified Sunday’s 134-point performance as the “blueprint” for the Dallas Mavericks. He credited their success to being “organized” and bringing specific defenders into the pick-and-roll to create high-value looks for Cooper Flagg and the supporting cast.
- Rhythm & Flow: Washington noted that “the ball was humming” because players were making the right reads in transition and limiting mistakes. This collective discipline resulted in just seven turnovers, allowing the Mavericks to maintain pace even when the Los Angeles Lakers attempted to surge back.
- The Path Forward: Beyond the 15 points in his return, Washington emphasized that this level of cohesion—relentless transition play and “pace and precision”—is the sustainable identity Jason Kidd wants to establish as the team moves toward the 2026-27 season.
DALLAS — P.J. Washington had spent three games watching from the sideline. Sunday night, he finally had something to contribute again — and he made sure it counted.
Washington returned from a right plantar fascia strain to score 15 points on 6-of-10 shooting, knock in 3 three-pointers, and grab 6 rebounds in nearly 30 minutes as the Dallas Mavericks snapped a 14-game home losing streak with a 134-128 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers at a sold-out American Airlines Center.
It was not the loudest performance of the night — that belonged, as it has so often this season, to Cooper Flagg. But Washington’s return was quietly significant, both for what he provided on the floor and for what it signals about what this franchise could look like when healthy.
“It felt great,” Washington said. “It felt great to be out there and contribute to a win for my team. So it’s been special — being able to watch Cooper do his thing.”
The Return
Washington’s absence had been felt. The Mavericks have been one of the most injury-ravaged rosters in the league this season, with Kyrie Irving and Dereck Lively II both lost to surgery, Caleb Martin sidelined with a plantar fascia issue of his own, and Washington missing time down the stretch of a season that was already difficult enough to navigate.
His return gave Dallas a different look — a veteran wing capable of making shots from the perimeter, defending multiple positions, and operating as a credible second option alongside Flagg in ways that opened up the floor for everyone else.
The impact was most visible in the third quarter. With the Los Angeles Lakers threatening to complete a second-quarter comeback that had trimmed a 22-point Dallas lead to six at halftime, Washington hit back-to-back three-pointers off Flagg’s assists to push the lead back out and effectively end Los Angeles’s best run of the night. The first stopped the bleeding. The second broke the game open.
He finished with 13 of his 15 points in the second half — the kind of timing that matters in close games against playoff-caliber opponents.
A Front-Row Seat to History
Washington has watched Flagg all season from a unique vantage point — close enough to see the work that goes into the performances, familiar enough with the league to understand just how rare what he is witnessing actually is.
Sunday night, Flagg dropped 45 points, 8 rebounds, and 9 assists against the Lakers, two nights after scoring 51 against the Orlando Magic — becoming the second rookie since the NBA/ABA merger to record consecutive 40-point games, joining Allen Iverson from the 1996-97 season.
Washington did not reach for hyperbole. He did not need to.
“At his age, doing the things he’s doing is literally unheard of,” Washington said. “It is a grown man’s league, and he’s getting better each and every game. For him, the future is super bright. He’s a great kid, a great guy to be around, great teammate.”
What stood out most to Washington was not the scoring. It was the hunger.
“My biggest thing with him is just how hungry he is each and every day — he’s trying to learn, he’s talking, he’s asking questions, he’s picking people’s brains, and he’s putting the work in,” Washington said. “That’s exactly what you want to see from a guy like that. Obviously, he’s going to be one of the best to play the game, for sure.”
Washington was also asked to make the case for Flagg in the Rookie of the Year race, and he did not hesitate.
“He shows it each and every night,” Washington said. “He draws so much attention, but it’s nothing to him. He makes shots at all three levels. He can facilitate the ball, he can rebound, and he can play defense. He’s a jack of all trades, and he’s 19 — doing what he’s doing is unheard of. So, in my opinion, he’s clear.”
The Offensive Chemistry
Washington also credited the collective nature of Sunday’s offensive performance — a night when Dallas committed just seven turnovers and shot 14-of-32 from three — as the key to making both his return and Flagg’s individual brilliance possible.
“I think for us it’s just being able to get stops and play in transition,” Washington told Dallas Hoops Journal. “We did a good job of bringing who we wanted into the pick-and-roll and letting Cooper kind of do his thing. Obviously, he made shots tonight. He made the right reads on pretty much every possession. We passed the ball, we got good shots, we hit. The ball was humming, and I just felt like everybody had a great game and we just played together.”
That sense of cohesion — organized, turnover-conscious, and relentless in transition — is what Jason Kidd has been trying to build all season through a roster that has rarely been fully intact. Sunday night offered the closest thing to a complete picture Dallas has shown in months.
Looking Ahead
Washington’s optimism about what comes next was palpable. With Irving and Lively II expected to return from their respective surgeries, a high draft pick on the way, and Flagg already established as one of the most compelling young players in the league, the Mavericks are building toward something real.
“We get a good pick. We get Kai back, we get Dereck back, start to build a really great team,” Washington said. “Guys will be healthy, guys will be working together. I think it’s going to be really good for us to get some time off and then some time to work together and just see how we look next year.”
He paused, then came back to where the night always returned.
“I think, like I said, the future’s bright,” Washington said. “For us, it’s just coming in to be healthy.”
Sunday night was a start.
More Dallas Mavericks Coverage Before Facing the Los Angeles Clippers
- ‘A Dream Come True’: Cooper Flagg Makes NBA History Again As Dallas Mavericks End 14-Game Home Skid With 134-128 Win Over Los Angeles Lakers
- ‘That’s What Paul Silas Did For Me’: LeBron James Draws Parallel Between His Rookie Role And Cooper Flagg’s
- ‘He Will Be Unstoppable’: Cooper Flagg’s Three-Point Statement Gives Blueprint For NBA Dominance
- ‘They’re Very Similar’: Jason Kidd Breaks Down The LeBron James Parallels For Cooper Flagg
- ‘He’s In Rare Air’: Cooper Flagg Scores 51 Points In Historic Performance, But Dallas Mavericks Fall To Orlando Magic
- ‘He’s Given Me That Confidence’: Cooper Flagg Credits Jason Kidd For Playmaking Evolution
- ‘I’ve Learned A Lot’: Khris Middleton Is Helping Cooper Flagg Grow As A Professional Scorer
