Cooper Flagg recorded 34 points and 12 rebounds on Saturday night, but the Dallas Mavericks fell 111-107 to the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center. The rookie scored all six of Dallas’s points in a late 6-2 run, keeping the game close in the final minutes.
Amen Thompson led the Rockets with 21 points, nine assists, and eight rebounds, finishing just shy of a triple-double. His alley-oop dunk with under two minutes left gave Houston a four-point cushion that proved decisive.
Jabari Smith Jr. added 19 points for Houston, while Alperen Sengun contributed 14 points and 14 rebounds. Tari Eason closed the game with a dunk in the final seconds to seal the victory.
Dallas trailed by 13 after a 3-pointer from Josh Okogie midway through the third quarter but responded with a 13-5 run to cut the deficit to five entering the fourth. Klay Thompson hit consecutive 3-pointers to spark a short 6-3 Mavericks run, but Houston maintained control.
The Mavericks tied the score at 107 with 28.6 seconds left after a basket from Naji Marshall and Flagg’s layup, but Sengun’s subsequent layup gave Houston the lead. Flagg’s final 3-point attempt bounced off the rim as the clock expired.
Max Christie added 11 points for Dallas, while Daniel Gafford chipped in 16 points and 11 rebounds. Despite Flagg’s effort, the Mavericks struggled to overcome the Rockets’ depth and timely scoring.
Dallas shot 45 percent overall and 43 percent from three-point range. Houston converted 42 percent of its field goals and 38 percent from long distance, with strong bench contributions helping sustain the lead.
The loss dropped Dallas to 19-30, leaving them 11th in the Western Conference, while Houston improved to 30-17 and remained fourth. The teams will next face Boston and Indiana, respectively.
