Indiana spent the first half making Dallas chase. Cooper Flagg spent the second half making the Pacers pay for it.
Flagg poured in 30 points after the break Monday night on his way to a season-high 43, and the Mavericks came back from 13 down to beat Indiana 125-122 at American Airlines Center. He went 16 of 25 from the floor, 3 of 6 from 3-point range and 8 of 8 at the line, and he finished with 10 rebounds, six assists and three steals.
The Pacers led 66-56 at halftime behind Pascal Siakam, who had 26 points before the break. Siakam managed three more the rest of the night, and Flagg took over the matchup that mattered. According to the Mavericks, much of that second-half work came on contested midrange jumpers after he turned into a smaller defender, with a few dunks mixed in.
"He affects the game in so many ways," Mavericks coach Dusty May said. "Thank goodness he's on our team. It's hard to believe he's a 19 year old doing this."
Company in the record book
At 19, Flagg became the second teenager in NBA history to put up 40 points, 10 rebounds and five assists in a game. The only other one is Kevin Durant, according to the Mavericks.
It was also the fifth 40-point game of Flagg's career. The Mavericks noted that is as many as LeBron James (three) and Anthony Edwards (two) managed combined as teenagers.
The double-double was his fourth in a row and fifth of the season, per the Associated Press.
