Cooper Flagg scored a career-high 29 points to lead the Dallas Mavericks to a narrow 118-115 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans in the NBA Cup in Dallas on Saturday.
The Mavericks secured the victory on a decisive three-pointer by Naji Marshall with 30.7 seconds remaining. Marshall, who spent four seasons with the Pelicans before moving to Dallas in July 2024, put his team ahead 116-115 with the shot.
The Pelicans' comeback attempt failed after they missed three 3-point attempts in the final seconds. The final attempt came from rookie Derik Queen with four seconds remaining, before Max Christie secured the victory for Dallas with two free throws with 10.9 seconds remaining.
PJ Washington Jr. then grabbed the final rebound on the baseline, which sparked a minor incident between players after the buzzer sounded.
Flagg put on an efficient performance, shooting 12 of 19 from the field, adding seven rebounds and five assists, after missing Thursday's game. This impressive performance solidified his position as the number one pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.
Besides Flagg, Washington contributed 24 points with five three-pointers. Christie also had a solid performance with 23 points and five three-pointers, matching her career best.