Dallas Mavericks rookie point forward Cooper Flagg delivered his top offensive showing of his young career during Sunday’s 139-129 home win over the Toronto Raptors. The 2025 No. 1 pick turned heads with a ferocious late-third quarter and-one poster slam that sent the American Airlines Center into a frenzy.
Flagg struggled with his efficiency during his first two NBA outings as he adjusted to a primary ball-handling role in Kyrie Irving’s (knee) absence. The 18-year-old shot just 10-for-27 (37.0%), at times looking out of sorts in Dallas’ jumbo starting five as his team stumbled to an 0-2 start.
However, Flagg looked far more comfortable against Toronto, getting to the rim at will, facilitating for his teammates, and knocking down two outside shots en route to his first career victory.
Cooper Flagg’s Jaw-Dropping Dunk Caps Off Key Run During Mavericks’ First Win of 2025-26 Season
With Dallas leading 92-85 with just over three minutes remaining in the third quarter, Flagg received a transition feed from D’Angelo Russell at midcourt. The 6-foot-9 prospect took one dribble before charging to the rim and throwing down a right-handed slam over Raptors big man Sandro Mamukelashvili through contact.
COOPER FLAGG TAKES FLIGHT 💥 pic.twitter.com/RnyKzpEJeF
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) October 27, 2025
The and-one capped off the Mavericks’ 13-0 run as they turned a three-point deficit (85-82) into a 10-point advantage (95-85). Flagg followed that up with a critical 3-pointer to put his squad up 114-102 midway through the fourth quarter.
The rookie phenom finished with 22 points, four rebounds, four assists, one block, and two triples. Flagg shot an efficient 8-for-14 (57.1%) and knocked down all four of his free-throw attempts. Meanwhile, he didn’t record a single turnover after racking up eight over the previous two contests.
When asked postgame about his “ability to take over games in short stretches” and “get the crowd fired up,” Flagg underscored his desire to make high-IQ plays and not dwell on mistakes.
“I think just making plays, just impacting the game, not forcing anything but just taking what is there,” Flagg said. “If they’re gonna go under screens, just take those shots. But I think just impacting the game at a high level, always staying with it, always staying positive, and just worrying about the next play and not looking in the rearview.”
Cooper Flagg on his ability to take over a game in a short stretch:
“Just making plays, just impacting the game, not forcing anything but just taking what is there…Always staying with it, always staying positive…”
On the AAC crowd:
“I think they’ve been incredible, the fans… pic.twitter.com/vWVGS6FYiI
— Noah Weber (@noahweber00) October 27, 2025
Flagg’s mature approach for his age should bode well for the Mavericks (1-2) as they continue navigating their lack of guard depth. Their next chance to get back to .500 comes during Monday’s matchup against the reigning NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder (3-0), their fourth of five home games to begin the season.
