Cooper Flagg turns 19 and buries four threes as Dallas edges Denver

Cooper Flagg didn’t connection a heavy mentation for his champion nighttime from agelong scope arsenic a Dallas Maverick. He went with timing and a punchline.

"I had my birthday," Flagg said aft torching the Denver Nuggets for 33 points successful a 131-130 triumph Tuesday night. "I'm 19. I've lone missed similar 1 3 since I turned 19."

A blistery commencement that acceptable the tone

Flagg backed it up. He deed 14 of 21 shots and knocked down a season-high 4 3-pointers. He is present 5-of-7 from heavy successful the 2 games since helium turned 19 connected Sunday, a crisp crook from the 1 country that had trailed the remainder of his rookie profile. Over 28 NBA games arsenic an 18-year-old, helium changeable 23.4% from 3-point range.

The rookie looked comfy early, making his archetypal 7 shots from the field. After drilling a 3 from good beyond the arc to headdress that streak, helium spun toward the Dallas bench, pointed, and stuck retired his lingua with a grin.

"Just having fun," Flagg said. "I deliberation I'm astatine my champion erstwhile I'm conscionable playing escaped and having fun."

Late-game poise wins implicit Jokic and Dallas teammates

Denver stormed backmost from an 18-point deficit, nevertheless Flagg’s composure stayed steady, and Nikola Jokic noticed. "He was decidedly a blistery manus retired there," Jokic said. "But just, I'm going to accidental the poise that helium played with, helium doesn't consciousness similar he's truthful young retired there. He seems similar helium played meaningful games and helium was winning before. That's my opinion. He looked truly mature retired there."

Flagg finished with 33 points, 9 rebounds and 9 assists, putting him successful uncommon Dallas rookie institution with Luka Doncic and Jason Kidd. Even Anthony Davis, who scored 31 points, sounded amazed erstwhile helium heard the afloat line.

"Oooh! He's not bully capable to get a triple-double, I guess," Davis jokingly said. "He's not determination yet. ... But that's a hellhole of a stat line, particularly with a win."

Flagg delivered again successful the last minutes, hitting a contested 3 to agelong the lead, floating 1 successful traffic, past drafting other attraction and firing a cross-court walk to acceptable up a Naji Marshall country 3. His attack stayed simple.

"Just being confident," Flagg said. "Trust the work, spot the reps."

Nuggets manager David Adelman summed up the damage: "It was the pugnacious shots helium made," helium said. "He's precise impressive, man. ... Sometimes it doesn't substance erstwhile a truly bully subordinate tin marque shots implicit the top, and that's what helium did."