The Dallas Mavericks stormed away with a 130-93 victory over the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday night at American Airlines Center, but second-year sensation Cooper Flagg gave fans something extra to talk about beyond the box score. Aside from delivering a vicious poster dunk over Nets forward Noah Clowney, Flagg raised eyebrows by snacking on a peanut butter and jelly sandwich on the bench for the second straight game.
Addressing his unique in-game habit after the blowout, the 19-year-old star revealed the rationale behind his sideline snacks.
“I wanna give a shoutout to our strength staff, our medical staff,” Flagg said. “They’re the best in the business and I’m trying to put on some weight & keep gaining muscle. Those are requirements I gotta meet & I’m just trying to stay ahead of it.”
Whatever nutrition the Dallas medical team packed into those PB&Js, it clearly paid off against Brooklyn. Flagg put on a clinic, snapping out of a recent shooting slump by filling up the stat sheet with 25 points, 12 assists, five rebounds, and a steal in just 28 minutes of action.
He hit 8-of-13 shots from the floor, including 3-of-5 from beyond the arc, while going a perfect 6-for-6 from the free-throw line. The highlight of the night arrived in the second quarter when Flagg blew past Clowney, soared into the lane, and unleashed a thunderous right-handed slam that brought the Dallas home crowd to its feet. Kyrie Irving added 21 points, helping Dallas improve to a 6-4 record. As Flagg continues his physical transformation in year two, opposing defenses might need to get used to seeing the rising star fuel up mid-game.