Instant Reactions: Cooper Flagg sets tone as Mavericks beat Nets

Cooper Flagg patiently waited as Brooklyn Nets center Day’Ron Sharpe tried to score near the basket.

When Sharpe went up for a layup, Flagg swatted the shot away, then sprinted the floor and attacked the rim for a tough layup of his own, giving the Mavericks an early lead.

Flagg’s aggressiveness in the first quarter,  when he scored 12 of his 22 points,  helped lead Dallas to a 119-111 win against the Brooklyn Nets at the American Airlines Center on Friday night.

With the win, the Mavericks have won five of their last six games. The Nets fell to 3–5 over their past eight contests.

While Dallas’ offense has begun to heat up, its defense has slipped. Entering the game, the Mavericks ranked ninth in offensive efficiency at 120.6 points per 100 possessions but allowed the 21st-most points (121.1) per 100 possessions over the past two weeks, according to Cleaning the Glass.

The Mavericks also played in their league-high 19th clutch game this season and now hold an 8–11 record in those situations.