DALLAS — Cooper Flagg scored 26 points and handed out eight assists Wednesday night as the Dallas Mavericks took care of the Oklahoma City Thunder, 120-96.
Flagg added five rebounds as Dallas improved to 3-2, moving above .500 for the first time since March 5, 2025.
The Mavericks had answers on both ends of the floor. They held Oklahoma City to 96 points and five 3-pointers while winning the transition battle 17-0. The Thunder failed to score a fast-break point, something they had not done since December 2021 — also against Dallas.
Flagg shot 10-for-23 from the field and made all four of his free throws. His 26 points marked his 24th career game with at least 25, the third-most by a teenager in NBA history behind LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony.
Dallas didn’t have to rely on Flagg alone. P.J. Washington Jr. finished with 18 points and nine rebounds, Kyrie Irving scored 15, and Zaccharie Risacher added 13. Daniel Gafford had 11 points, while Max Christie, Brandon Williams and Klay Thompson also scored in double figures.
Eight Mavericks finished with at least 10 points, giving Dallas a balanced attack that Oklahoma City struggled to contain. The Mavericks also recorded at least 30 assists for the second straight game, continuing the ball movement they showed in Monday’s win over Miami.
Risacher made the most of his opportunities, going 5-for-6 from the floor and 2-for-3 from beyond the arc. His 13 points were his highest total since joining Dallas. Rookie Morez Johnson Jr. added 10 points, six rebounds and three assists for his first double-digit scoring performance.
Gafford continued to make his presence felt defensively, recording multiple blocks for the fifth consecutive game.
Oklahoma City got 29 points from Ajay Mitchell, who shot 12-for-20 and finished one point shy of his career high. The rest of the Thunder’s offense couldn’t make up the difference as Dallas limited their perimeter shooting and kept them from finding easy points in transition.
For the Mavericks, the win was an encouraging early-season result built on more than one player’s scoring. Flagg led the way, but the defensive effort and contributions throughout the lineup helped Dallas put the game away.
