Neither Cooper Flagg nor the Dallas Mavericks had the best first half in Thursday's game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, but the 19-year-old forward still unleashed his power in front of an uninterested Target Center crowd.
While dribbling the ball up court in transition, Flagg accelerated and darted for the rim. LaMelo Ball started to position himself for a block attempt before deciding there was likely little he could do to stop the airborne talent. The Mavs pillar slammed it home, reminding fans once again of his downhill prowess. Ball and the Wolves are getting the last laugh, however.
The big offseason acquisition conquered his fellow Rookie of the Year winner multiple times and is scorching Dallas' defense. Minnesota owns a 30-plus-point lead in the second half and will cruise to its fifth straight win. No Anthony Edwards, no problem. At least tonight. Even though he found himself on the wrong end of a poster, Ball still dominated the action.
Flagg should not be discouraged, though.
Article Continues BelowCOOPER FLAGG SLAMS IT DOWN WITH AUTHORITY 😤 pic.twitter.com/yHXIS7ygXN
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) November 13, 2026
The Mavericks are progressing quite nicely in the early portion of the campaign, this blowout loss notwithstanding. A returning Kyrie Irving should increase their win total, but No. 32 will determine the team's true level of growth. He averaged 25.9 points, 6.9 rebounds and 6.9 assists while shooting 50.0 percent from the field and 29.2 percent from 3-point range through his first 10 games of the season.
Cooper Flagg and the Mavs will try to learn from this brutal night in The North Star State and snap back for the remainder of this three-game road trip. The Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics will not make it easy on them, however.