NBA
Cooper Flagg Helps Dallas Hand Thunder Their First Loss
Dallas beat Oklahoma City 120–96 behind Flagg’s scoring and playmaking, with Kyrie Irving contributing in his return to home action.
Cooper Flagg scored 26 points and handed out eight assists as the Dallas Mavericks defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder 120–96 Wednesday, ending Oklahoma City’s unbeaten start at American Airlines Center.
Dallas improved to 3–2, while the Thunder fell to 4–1. P.J. Washington added 18 points for the Mavericks, who built on a six-point halftime lead and pulled away through the second half.
Flagg’s scoring and ball security
Flagg also recorded five rebounds and committed no turnovers, according to Reuters’ game account. The combination of scoring and ball security gave Dallas production without surrendering possessions through his handling.
Kyrie Irving scored 15 points, including 13 before halftime. It was his first home regular-season appearance since the knee injury he suffered in March 2025. He had sat out Dallas’ home opener on the second night of a back-to-back.
The official game recap records a substantial difference from three-point range. Dallas made 16 of 45 attempts, while Oklahoma City finished 5 of 32. The Mavericks’ 11 additional makes represented a 33-point difference on those shots.
Ajay Mitchell led the Thunder with 29 points and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander added 21. Their production came with Oklahoma City missing several established rotation players, including Jalen Williams and Cason Wallace, as well as Chet Holmgren and Alex Caruso.
How Dallas built the winning margin
Those absences describe the personnel available for this game; they do not diminish the result Dallas secured. The Mavericks outscored Oklahoma City in every quarter and extended their lead as high as 27 points.
Daniel Gafford also made the first three-pointer of his NBA career, adding an unusual detail to Dallas’ successful night from distance.
The victory was the first home win for new Mavericks coach Dusty May. Dallas’ balanced scoring complemented Flagg’s lead performance rather than requiring him to supply the entire offense.
Both teams next face Houston: Dallas hosts the Rockets on Friday, while Oklahoma City visits Houston on Saturday. TSP’s NBA section carries further results and injury coverage as those matchups approach.
