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Mavericks’ Cooper Flagg near-single-handedly eliminates Pelicans from NBA Cup
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- Mavericks’ Cooper Flagg near-single-handedly eliminates Pelicans from NBA Cup
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The post Mavericks' Cooper Flagg near-single-handedly eliminates Pelicans from NBA Cup appeared first on ClutchPoints .
The Dallas Mavericks may still be reeling from their disastrous decision to trade Luka Doncic away, but they have plenty of reason to look forward to a brighter future. Cooper Flagg is the main reason as to why the Mavs' long-term outlook isn't as bleak as it could have been in the aftermath of the Doncic trade. And while Flagg has been experiencing plenty of growing pains, the talent he possesses is clear — especially during their NBA Cup contest on Friday against the New Orleans Pelicans .
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Weathering a slow start on the night, Flagg finished with aplomb and nearly single-handedly led the Mavericks to a 118-115 win over the floundering Pelicans. He was unstoppable in the fourth , scoring 12 points on 4-5 shooting from the field and 4-5 from the foul line — finishing with 29 points, seven rebounds, and five assists on an overall shooting night of 12-19, which may be his best game as a professional just yet.
Of course, it's telling about the Mavericks' state of affairs that their game against a struggling Pelicans side ended up going down to the wire. But it's also telling about Flagg's mental fortitude that he stuck to the task and helped Dallas cross the finish line as the winner.
In the end, it wasn't Flagg, however, that dealt the decisive blow. It was Naji Marshall that drove the dagger into the Pelicans' heart, hitting the go-ahead triple that New Orleans wasn't able to recover from.
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But still, this is Flagg's team, and they will only go as far as their new franchise cornerstone takes them.
Cooper Flagg is hitting his stride for the Mavericks
Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
Considering who he's replacing (Doncic), the expectations for Flagg entering his rookie season were always going to be unrealistic. One has to remember that he's only 18 (turning 19 next month). But Flagg is showing some two-way prowess that isn't easily seen in many rookies as young as he is, and the Mavericks have to be very pleased with the progress he's been making.
While Dallas is still mourning the loss of Doncic, they can at least look forward to Flagg's developmental trajectory all the way to becoming one of the best players in the NBA.
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Related: Mavericks HC Jason Kidd celebrates Cooper Flagg's poise in win over Pelicans
