Cooper Flagg and the Dallas Mavericks snapped a losing streak with a 138-133 overtime win over the Portland Trail Blazers at home on Sunday.
Flagg delivered 21 points, eight rebounds, five assists, two blocks and one steal. P.J. Washington added 21 points on 7-of-16 shooting, Brandon Williams finished with 15 points and Klay Thompson added 19 on 5-of-11 from beyond the arc.
Fans reacted to Flagg’s big second half and overtime performance as he continues to find his footing in the NBA.
With the Win the Mavericks snapped a three game losing streak to improve to 4-10 while the Blazers fell to 6-7 on the season.
Portland’s Shaedon Sharpe led the way with 36 points and six assists, Deni Avdija added 29 points and seven assists and Jerami Grant finished with 26 points and five rebounds.
Portland took a narrow four-point lead into halftime, powered by 13 points each from Avdija and Grant. Sharpe added 12. Flagg entered the break with just two points, while Williams scored eight for Dallas.
The Blazers edged Dallas 30-28 in the third to carry a 91-85 lead into the fourth. Flagg stood out in the quarter, scoring 10 points to help keep the Mavericks within striking distance.
Five straight points midway through the fourth gave the Mavericks a brief lead, but Avdija and Sharpe answered for Portland. Grant was fouled on a three and put the Blazers back in front late.
Flagg hit a clutch shot to tie it, but he missed a potential game-winning free throw and a jumper in the final seconds, sending the game to overtime.
Both teams traded buckets in overtime with Flagg stepping up during the extra minutes, but a Williams layup and a key defensive stop after Grant missed a three put the Mavericks up by four, to lead the way to a Mavericks victory.
Portland will host Phoenix on Tuesday, while Dallas will hit the road to face Minnesota on Monday.
