3 thoughts from Mavericks-Thunder: Cooper Flagg injures shoulder in Dallas loss

Early in the first quarter Monday night, Dallas Mavericks guard Cooper Flagg collided with Oklahoma City Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein on a routine play that left the big man unfazed but left Flagg favoring his left shoulder.

Each time Flagg came off the floor, he wore a wrap containing a heat pack to keep the shoulder loose. But the injury appeared to affect his game — he shot just 1 of 9 from the field and finished with two points, two rebounds and no assists as the Mavericks fell, 101-94, to the Thunder at American Airlines Center.

The loss dropped Dallas to 1-3, while Oklahoma City remained unbeaten at 4-0.

After the game, Flagg sat in the locker room with ice on his shoulder.

“We’ll see how he feels tomorrow,” Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd said. “His shoulder is sore. He played through it. He’s a tough kid.”

Here are three takeaways from the game:

Max Christie steps up, D’Angelo Russell has flashes

With Dereck Lively II sidelined by a right knee contusion, Kidd turned to Max Christie as a starter. Christie missed his first three 3-pointers but found rhythm, hitting his next two.

Since being acquired from the Los Angeles Lakers last season, Christie has been one of the Mavericks’ more reliable bench contributors. He has scored 10 or more points in consecutive games and has 13 made three-pointers this season. Against the Thunder, he finished with 15 points.

“All the coaches empower me to shoot when I’m open for sure and not pass up any threes,” Christie said. “I’m very confident. And I am always able to shoot the ball and I feel like I’m confident in the work that I put in.”

D’Angelo Russell, the first player off the bench, logged 30 minutes but continued to struggle with his shot. He went 3-of-14 from the field and just 1-of-8 from deep. Despite the inefficiency, Dallas’s offense flowed better with Russell directing the attack,  a familiar paradox for the 6-foot-3 guard.

Mavericks contain Shai Gilgeous-Alexander for two quarters

Gilgeous-Alexander, the reigning regular-season and Finals MVP, entered the night averaging 40 points per game on 52.7% shooting. The Mavericks managed to hold him to 23 points, four rebounds and eight assists — below his usual production.

He was quiet in the first half, scoring just eight points and failing to attempt a free throw, a stark contrast from his 26 attempts earlier this season against Indiana.

Christie opened the game defending Gilgeous-Alexander and held up well early, with Caleb Martin and P.J. Washington providing relief when Christie sat. Dallas collapsed on him consistently in the paint, forcing the ball out of his hands.

But in the third quarter, Gilgeous-Alexander found his rhythm, shooting 6 of 7 and drilling a step-back 3-pointer over Christie to give Oklahoma City a 63-54 lead with 6:54 left. That spurred a 12-2 Thunder run, stretching the lead to double digits.

Chet Holmgren, who was questionable before the game with lower back soreness, added 18 points, 11 rebounds and four blocks.

Another Rough Night for Dallas’s Offense

Dallas trailed by as many as 22 points but mounted a furious 25-4 run in the fourth quarter to pull within one on a floater from Russell.

Down three with 33 seconds left, Russell’s contested 3-pointer grazed the front rim. Holmgren secured the rebound before Washington knocked it loose, only for the ball to roll out of bounds off Washington’s foot. Kidd challenged the call, but it was upheld.

Beyond Flagg’s off night, the Mavericks’ offense sputtered across the board. They shot 37.9% overall, 30.8% from deep and 72.7% from the line, though they limited turnovers to just nine.

Rebounding, however, proved decisive. The Thunder dominated the glass, 55-36, stifling Dallas’s second-chance opportunities.

The Mavericks will conclude their five-game homestand Wednesday night against the defending Eastern Conference champion Indiana Pacers.