Flagg drops 43 as Mavericks rally past Pacers 125-122
Cooper Flagg's career night and 26 combined fourth-quarter points with Kyrie Irving erased a 13-point deficit and completed a Dallas homestand sweep.
The Dallas Mavericks are suddenly a team to take seriously, and Monday night showed why. Cooper Flagg poured in a season-high 43 points with 10 rebounds as Dallas came from 13 down to beat the Indiana Pacers 125-122, sweeping a three-game homestand and moving to 7-4 — three games over .500 for the first time since March 2025.
A teenager in historic company
Flagg, still 19, shot 16-of-25 from the field and became just the second teenager in NBA history with at least 40 points and 10 rebounds in a game, joining Kevin Durant, according to ESPN. "It's unbelievable. He's a 19-year-old doing this," said Mavericks coach Dusty May.
He had help. Kyrie Irving scored 35 with a season-high seven three-pointers, playing 38 minutes on the second night of a back-to-back — his first since returning from the torn ACL that cost him last season.
The turnaround
For a half, this was Indiana's game. Pascal Siakam scorched Dallas for 26 first-half points on 8-of-9 shooting, and the Pacers led 66-56 at the break, per the AP. Then the fourth quarter belonged to two players: Flagg and Irving combined for 26 points in the period, scoring Dallas's first 13 of the frame as the Mavericks outscored Indiana 35-29 down the stretch.
The finish was chaotic. With four seconds left, P.J. Washington Jr. missed two free throws and Obi Toppin rebounded for Indiana — but Caleb Martin tipped away Andrew Nembhard's pass on the final possession, leaving Pacers coach Rick Carlisle protesting at midcourt for a foul call that never came.
What it means
Siakam finished with 29 and Aaron Nesmith added 18, but Indiana falls to 3-8, its promising start to the week undone by one brilliant quarter. For Dallas, the formula is becoming clear: a healthy Irving and a rookie who is already playing like a franchise cornerstone. Flagg is averaging 25.9 points, 6.9 rebounds and 6.9 assists — company only Luka Dončić keeps this season.