Mavericks’ Rookie Cooper Flagg Adds to Wild Night in NBA

Cooper Flagg skied high for the board, pushed the pace, spun through Gary Trent Jr. and went right at former MVP and champion Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Despite Antetokounmpo’s affinity for stout defense, the newest No. 1 pick in Flagg — who’s still just 18 — had little fear in trying to get a clutch-time bucket. Which he eventually sunk with an acrobatic finish to put the Mavericks ahead by just one.

Milwaukee would eventually leave with the win, but Flagg’s play would cap one of the best games of his young career, and add to an already ludicrous night of NBA basketball in totality.

Flagg scored 26 points on 9-for-15 shooting overall, adding non rebounds, four assists, two steals and a block in the two-point loss. His strength shined through against the Bucks, where he shot 10 free throws, hitting seven.

His play against Antetokounmpo would make its rounds on social media.

Amazing bucket by Cooper Flagg through Giannis pic.twitter.com/y9Nf8Rz37V
— Kevin O'Connor (@KevinOConnor) November 11, 2025

Best game from Cooper Flagg this season.

Even in a loss, this possession gives a glimpse of how special Flagg is. The spin move into the clutch basket against Giannis at the rim to take the lead w/ 30 seconds left.

26 points (60 FG%) / 9 rebounds
4 assists / 2 steals / 1 block pic.twitter.com/zzjX5HkVl2
— Landon Thomas (@sixfivelando) November 11, 2025

Flagg wasn’t the only player with a highlight-worthy night, though. Monday’s NBA slate featured nine games, almost all of which had photo finishes, superstar performances or a mix of both.

Two games went to overtime, with the Heat beating the Cavaliers on an improbable lob with just 0.4 seconds remaining. The Wizards and Pistons would see similar hi-jinx, with star guard Cade Cunningham going for 46 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists on 45 shots.

In Orlando-Portland, the newly-acquired Desmond Bane would hit a long-range 3-point at the buzzer to give the Magic just their fifth win of the season.

Even in the Mavericks’ game versus the Bucks, Milwaukee needed some late star-power from Ryan Rollins, and even the final chance came down to PJ Washington at the free throw line.

The Mavericks are now just 3-8 — and rumors are swirling about certain front office members and their futures with the program — but it’s clear the team has something in Flagg.

Things haven't been perfect, largely due to the Mavericks' poor roster construction with star guard Kyrie Irving out of the equation. But it's been clear in short flashes that Flagg is going to one day be a consistently great player in the NBA.

Through his first 11 games, Flagg has averaged a solid 15.0 points, 6.8 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.3 steals per game, though his shooting splits could stand to come around somewhat. Even still, he’s the youngest player in the league, and is rapidly improving.

The 2025 draft class has gotten off to a hot start, with Flagg helping to lead the charge in Dallas.