How did the Mavericks rookie fare against the Miami Heat? (November 24)

Cooper Flagg and the Dallas Mavericks visited the Miami Heat on Monday. After a career-high 29 points against the New Orleans Pelicans two nights ago, the rookie looked to have another high-scoring game in South Beach. Flagg hoped to lead the Mavs to their first two-game winning streak with a win against the Heat.

Flagg got off to a slow start, finishing the first quarter with two points, one rebound, one assist and two turnovers. Despite the underwhelming performance, the Mavericks only trailed 20-19 at the end of the period.

The Mavericks He asked a lot of Flagg on defense in the first half, which was probably one reason why he didn't have any rhythm on offense. He played center for some stretches alongside Caleb Martin and Naji Marshall, an undersized frontcourt against the Heat, which featured Bam Adebayo and Kel'el Ware. Flagg finished the first half with a minus-9 mark, the worst among the starters.

As Cooper Flagg struggled, Tyler Herro came up late to extend Miami's lead to 52-44 at halftime.

PJ Washington, Brandon Williams, Max Christie and Klay Thompson shouldered the scoring load as Flagg continued to struggle. The 6-foot-9 forward finished the third quarter with six points, three rebounds, an assist, a steal and a turnover. The Heat outscored the Mavs by 13 points in Flagg's 24 minutes. Dallas trailed 80-72 entering the fourth quarter.

Flagg made some crucial shots late to help his team nearly pull off a come-from-behind victory. He scored a layup with 2:45 left and hit two free throws to tie the game at 102 apiece with 1:05 left. Flagg's two extra points were the last points the Mavericks scored as the Heat won 106-102.

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Editor's note: Updates will follow