Dallas Mavericks’ Cooper Flagg keeps it ‘simple’ in Dickies Arena preseason win
Heading into the Dallas Mavericks’ first NBA preseason game, head coach Jason Kidd explained what he was looking for before the Mavs’ 106-89 win over the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday at Dickies Arena.
“Talking about health, we wanna be healthy, but looking at the pace offensively,” Kidd said. “Second, the physicality, and then third, just defensive. This is a great test; no matter who’s playing for Oklahoma City, they’re the champs. They understand how to drive the ball and cause a problem. So this would be a test for our individual defense, but also team defense.”
The fans? They were waiting to see the debut of Duke’s Cooper Flagg, the No. 1 overall pick in June’s NBA draft.
The Mavericks played in Fort Worth for the first time since 2004, and Mayor Mattie Parker, who was in attendance, proclaimed Oct. 6 as Dallas Mavericks Day in Fort Worth.
Flagg played well, with a couple of nice defensive plays, including a highlight-reel block that led to a dunk by Anthony Davis.
Flagg finished with 10 points, six rebounds and three assists, showing his stat-stuffing potential while only playing the first half.
Kidd pointed out Flagg’s playmaking and ability to handle the pressure when discussing what made him successful Monday.
“That’s gonna be one of our strengths is being able to have him handle the ball, being able to make the reads, run the pick and roll. I thought he did a great job finding guys,” Kidd said. “Being able to play off the dribble and shoot the 3. So, you know, for an 18-year-old, it was kind of special.”
By a rough count, Flagg played in six different lineups, including some small-ball looks with Dwight Powell at center. The starters had no real surprises, as it was Flagg alongside Davis, Klay Thompson, Dereck Lively and D’Angelo Russell.
It was a slow start for Flagg scoring-wise; he went 0-for-2 from the field in the first quarter. However, the 18-year-old Maine native scored all of his points, including two 3-pointers, in the second period.
Flagg explained his approach in the game and why it might’ve led to a slow start.
“Throughout the game, whenever I was in there, just taking whatever the defense gives me, just keeping it simple, making the right play, whether it’s a pass or shot, whatever it is,” Flagg said. “So just early on, it was double down, hitting the big a couple times later on, coming off the screen, shooting it. So it’s just whatever the defense is going to give me.”
Max Christie scores double digits
One of Kidd’s focuses pregame was pushing the pace, and guard Max Christie, the forgotten piece in the Luka Dončić trade, was sharp.
Christie finished with 12 points, two rebounds and three assists. He was the team’s second-leading scorer behind P.J. Washington’s 14 and tied for the lead in plus/minus at +18.
Christie pushed the ball in transition and attacked the basket, getting to the foul line three times and making all six of his attempts. In a game without Dante Exum — and with Kyrie Irving set to miss a significant portion of the season while recovering from an ACL tear in his left knee — Christie made an early case to see the floor.
Kidd complimented Christie, focusing on his aggression and pace.
“He’s in shape and ready to go,” Kidd said. “I thought the cutting, his ability to be aggressive there in the second, to be able to get to the free-throw line. We talked about that, some of the best, the most important shots for us is the free-throw line. I thought he got us going there early, think in the first half we were 18-for-18 from the free-throw line. But I thought Christie’s pace, and again, his defense was really good.”
Christie echoed his coach’s sentiments.
“The biggest thing was cutting for me,” he said. “I think D-Lo [Russell] and I have a pretty good connection, in transition, especially when I’m cutting it so. But even when I do have the ball, I’m always looking to be aggressive in transition. When I push the pace and trying to find those seams and being able to get to the line is, I think the free throw is the most efficient shot in the NBA, obviously, because nobody’s guarding you and it’s a free throw. So the more I can get to the line, the better.”
The Mavs will be back in action against the Charlotte Hornets at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at American Airlines Center.
This story was originally published October 6, 2025 at 9:52 PM.
