Budding stars and former No. 1 picks Cade Cunningham and Cooper Flagg stole the show on Thursday during the overtime shootout between the Detroit Pistons and Dallas Mavericks.
Each franchise player led their respective team in scoring, as the duo traded baskets all night en route to a combined 52 points. Cunningham, an Arlington, Texas native, poured in a game-high 29 points in an impressive homecoming game.
Flagg recorded his fourth career double-double, delivering 23 points, 10 rebounds, four assists and three blocks to lead the Mavericks to victory. He now joins Kobe Bryant and LeBron James as the only 18-year-old players to have scored 500+ points.
“Man, he’s been killin’…To be at his age doing that already, he’s got a bright future ahead,” Cunningham said of Flagg pregame. “We already knew that coming in, but that’s special. I think he’s been doing a great job.”
The former Duke standout set the tone early with an emphatic tomahawk slam over his fellow No. 1 pick, Cunningham, in the first quarter.
Cooper Flagg Learning To Keep Cool in the Clutch
GettyCooper Flagg learning to thrive in the clutch for Dallas
Flagg entered Thursday leading all rookies in clutch scoring and added to his total with another big performance against Detroit.
With less than a minute remaining in regulation in Thursday’s matchup against Detroit, Flagg recorded back-to-back baskets, with the latter giving Dallas a 110-109 lead with 19 seconds remaining.
Ultimately, it took an overtime period for Dallas to prevail over the Eastern Conference-leading Pistons. It is the fifth Mavericks matchup this season decided by five points or less. Flagg said that he is gaining valuable experience and lessons from the team’s tightly-contested games.
“I’m learning a lot, Flagg said postgame. “You have to be confident in these moments.”
Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd praised the rookie’s fortitude in clutch situations and noted that his scoring prowess helped Dallas secure the home win over Detroit.
“[Flagg] finds a way of scoring or making a play,” Kidd said of the reigning Rookie of the Month. “Tonight, coming down the stretch, we got him the ball, and he scored. Then he makes a heck of a play going right and makes the bounce pass to [Anthony Davis] for an easy two [points].
“We talk about this everyday… just understanding winning situations, and he’s stepped up every time. So it’s good to see.”
Cade Cunningham Shines in Texas Homecoming
GettyCade Cunningham shines in Texas homecoming
Pistons All-Star guard Cade Cunningham had his high school jersey retired on Dec. 17 at Bowie High School in his native Arlington, about 25 miles south of Dallas. Amazingly, all of his Detroit teammates showed up in support of the MVP candidate.
A day later, the Pistons star battled the former top draftee Flagg in Dallas, continuing a habit he’s had since grade school: getting buckets.
While donning a pair of Captain America-inspired Nike shoes, Cunningham stuffed the stat sheet, finishing the game one assist shy of a triple-double.
He also matched Flagg’s rim-rocking finish with a poster dunk of his own over renowned shot-blocker Anthony Davis.
Like Captain America on his custom sneakers, Cunningham “can go all day” in terms of scoring and did so with ease from all three phases against Dallas.
His 15 games of 25+ points and 5+ assists are the fifth-most in the league, trailing only Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Nikola Jokic, Luka Doncic and Tyrese Maxey.
The Pistons star leads the NBA in points scored in the clutch (91).
Cunningham and the Pistons return to Detroit on Saturday to host LaMelo Ball and the Charlotte Hornets. The Mavericks, who have won six of their last ten games, travel to Philly for a Dec. 20 matchup against the Sixers.
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