DALLAS — Late in yet another close game for the Dallas Mavericks, Cooper Flagg noticed something that made him sure he needed to drive the ball into the paint.

Donovan Clingan, the Portland Trail Blazers’ 7-foot-2 center, subbed out at the 3:54 mark of the fourth quarter. With Clingan resting during crunch time, Flagg sensed opportunity. He scored at the 1:11 mark, again at the 3:07 mark in overtime and for the final time at the 1:56 mark in the extra period.

All three baskets came off power drives to the rim.

“They played a lot of the end of the game with their center on the bench — Donovan Clingan on the bench,” Flagg said. “If they are not going to have shot blocking in the game, we (have) to use our size.”

Cooper Flagg said with Donovan Clingan on the bench late in the game, he made a point to get into the paint. Here were his final three baskets. pic.twitter.com/RNqutkbCLW

— Christian Clark (@christianpclark) November 17, 2025

Flagg scored 9 points in the fourth quarter and overtime as the Mavericks earned a 138-133 win against the Trail Blazers at American Airlines Center. The 18-year-old rookie delivered a standout all-around performance — stuffing the stat sheet with 21 points (9-of-16), eight rebounds, five assists, one steal and two blocks — which allowed Dallas to beat a Western Conference opponent for the first time this season and bank a rare “clutch” win. Before Sunday, the Mavericks were just 2-8 in “clutch” games (having a score within 5 points in the final five minutes) this season.

“Cooper delivered on both ends,” Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said. “Offensively and defensively.”

The Mavericks weren’t supposed to have to rely on Flagg so much in his first year. But with Kyrie Irving, the team’s best closer, working his way back from a torn ACL and Anthony Davis still sidelined for at least one more week with a left calf strain, Flagg has had to carry a heavy burden.

On Nov. 5, Kidd drew up the last shot for Flagg in Dallas’ game against the New Orleans Pelicans. Flagg misfired on a midrange jumper and was frustrated afterward, saying, “This is the most I’ve lost since, I think, ever.”

The Mavericks appeared to be in danger of enduring more disappointment Sunday. They trailed by 6 points going into the fourth quarter but staged a comeback thanks to P.J. Washington’s timely 3-point shooting, Daniel Gafford’s season-high 20 points and Flagg’s late-game offense.

The Mavericks took the lead for good with 1:39 left in overtime on a pair of Gafford free throws. On their next possession, Flagg threw the ball ahead to Washington for a transition dunk, which extended their lead to three.

“Obviously, we look to turn defense into offense,” Flagg said. “That’s the best thing for us.”

Flagg was quiet in the first two quarters. At halftime, he had 2 points on 1-of-3 shooting. During the break, Gafford said he spoke to the Mavericks’ young star.

“I noticed he was frustrated at halftime,” Gafford said. “I talked to him a little bit. He said he felt like he wasn’t involved. I said: ‘Slow down a little bit. It will come to you. You ain’t got to go rush the game. Sometimes the game will come to you.’ That’s exactly what it did.”

Flagg scored 10 points in the third quarter. He made a 3 from the left wing, a midrange pull-up and two shots at the rim. One of the highlights was Flagg’s interception of Deni Avdija’s bounce pass, followed by Flagg weaving through the Trail Blazers defense for a lefty layup.

“He thrives in the open court,” Kidd said. “He got into the open court more there in the second half.”

Kidd has great trust in Flagg, the NBA’s youngest player. The Mavericks played through him heavily in the most important moments of Sunday’s game. Flagg made three “clutch” buckets, which were critical to the Mavericks’ (4-10) salvaging a four-game homestand with a win.

“He’s comfortable in that situation,” Kidd said. “You can see that. Playing a lot of close games, and he’s delivered.”