DALLAS — Cooper Flagg scored a season-high 43 points, including 30 after half-time, and Kyrie Irving added 35 as the Dallas Mavericks overturned a 13-point deficit to beat the Indiana Pacers 125-122 at the American Airlines Center on Monday night, 9 November 2026. The 19-year-old Flagg finished with 10 rebounds, six assists and three steals, and in doing so became only the second teenager in NBA history to record at least 40 points, 10 rebounds and five assists in a single game — joining Kevin Durant, who did it for the Seattle SuperSonics in the final game of the 2007-08 season.
Illustration: Cooper Flagg rises for a jump shot against the Indiana Pacers during the Dallas Mavericks' 125-122 win on 9 November 2026.
What Happened
The Mavericks trailed by 13 points and spent much of the night chasing the game. Indiana led for 32 minutes, according to Sports Illustrated, and the Pacers looked in control behind Pascal Siakam, who scored 26 of his 29 points in the first half and finished with nine rebounds and eight assists. But Dallas refused to go away, and the second half belonged to Flagg.
Flagg scored 30 of his 43 points after the break, shooting 16 of 25 from the floor, 3 of 6 from three-point range and a perfect 8 of 8 from the free-throw line. He was at his most destructive in the third quarter, scoring 14 points on flawless 6-of-6 shooting. Five of his 16 field goals were jumpers from between 10 and 18 feet, according to the official play-by-play cited by the Dallas Sports Journal — the mid-range game he spent the summer refining, working on spot-up shooting with limited space and limited dribbles.
Irving was just as important. The veteran guard scored 35 points on 11-of-18 shooting, drilling 7 of 10 three-point attempts, and he played 38 minutes on the second night of a back-to-back — his first back-to-back since returning from a torn ACL that kept him out for 19 months, according to the Associated Press. Together, Flagg and Irving combined for 78 points, and they scored 26 of Dallas's points in the fourth quarter, including the team's first 13 of the period, as the Mavericks closed the game 35-29.
The finish was a test of nerve. With 62 seconds left and Dallas up by two, Flagg pulled up from 18 feet and scored. He did it again with 26.3 seconds remaining, two cold-blooded mid-range jumpers that gave the Mavericks the cushion they needed. Two Irving free throws then put Dallas ahead 125-122 with 18 seconds left. Indiana had one last chance, but Aaron Nesmith missed a three-pointer, P.J. Washington secured the rebound and was quickly fouled, and the comeback was complete.
The win was Dallas's third in a row and lifted the Mavericks to 7-4, three games above .500 for the first time since 1 March 2025, according to the Associated Press. Indiana fell to 3-8 with its second consecutive defeat, and Dallas swept the two-game season series between the teams after also beating the Pacers in their home opener last month, according to Sports Illustrated.
Background
Flagg arrived in Dallas as the most anticipated young player of his generation. The Mavericks selected him with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft after one season at Duke University, where he was the consensus best player in college basketball, and he was named Rookie of the Year in his first professional season. Now in his second year, the 19-year-old is no longer treated as a prospect with promise. He is treated as the player opponents plan their entire defence around — and he keeps beating the plan.
Illustration: Two Dallas Mavericks players celebrate after the 125-122 comeback win over the Indiana Pacers.
Monday's performance was the fifth 40-point game of his young NBA career and the first time he has reached 40 points this season, according to USA Today. His previous season high was 33 points. It was also, according to ESPN figures cited by USA Today, his 14th game with at least 30 points before his 20th birthday. Only LeBron James, with 20 such games, has more. Flagg has also already become the youngest player in NBA history to score 50 points in a game, according to USA Today — a record that underlines just how early his scoring explosions began.
The context around him matters too. Irving's return from a torn ACL has been managed with extreme care: he sat out the second night of Dallas's first back-to-back two and a half weeks ago, and Monday was the first time he played both nights since the injury. That he lasted 38 minutes and scored 35 points on the second night is, in its own way, as significant for Dallas's season as Flagg's scoring. Head coach Dusty May told ESPN it was hard to believe a 19-year-old was doing what Flagg is doing. Flagg himself kept it simple, telling ESPN's Tim MacMahon: "Tonight, me and Kai had it going."
Indiana, meanwhile, continues to search for consistency. Siakam's first-half explosion showed the Pacers at their best, moving the ball and punishing Dallas inside and out. But they could not sustain it, and their late-game execution faltered at exactly the moment Dallas's sharpened. The Pacers have now lost two in a row, and at 3-8 they sit near the bottom of the Eastern Conference in the early weeks of the season.
The game also carried a quiet historical echo. When Kevin Durant posted his 40-10-5 game as a teenager, it came in the last game of the 2007-08 season for a Seattle SuperSonics franchise that would relocate to Oklahoma City that summer. Durant went on to become one of the greatest scorers in NBA history. Flagg's achievement does not guarantee a similar career — no single night can — but the company he has joined is not accidental. Teenagers who score 40 points in the NBA are rare; teenagers who do it while also grabbing 10 rebounds and dishing five assists are rarer still.
Why It Matters
The simplest reading of Monday night is that a 19-year-old had a great game. The deeper reading is that the Mavericks may have found the formula that defines their season. Dallas has now won three games in a row, and the wins are starting to look like a pattern rather than a streak: Flagg doing damage from everywhere on the floor, Irving spacing the defence with his shooting, and the team defending just well enough late to let its stars win the game. A 13-point comeback at home against a conference opponent is the kind of win that builds belief inside a locker room, particularly when it comes on the second night of a back-to-back.
Illustration: Cooper Flagg drives to the basket at the American Airlines Center in Dallas.
For Flagg personally, the 40-10-5 milestone is the kind of line that follows a player. Durant is the only other teenager to do it, and the statistic has already travelled around the league's social media accounts and highlight shows. It changes how opponents prepare for him and how quickly the conversation shifts from "promising young player" to "franchise cornerstone." That shift has consequences: more defensive attention, more physical play, more nights when the opposing team's best defender is assigned to him from the opening tip. His answer on Monday — 30 second-half points, efficient shooting from every level, and two decisive jumpers in the final minute — suggests he is ready for the attention.
For Irving, the night answered a different question. The 19-month absence after his ACL tear was the longest layoff of his career, and the Mavericks have been cautious at every step of his return. Playing 38 minutes on the second night of a back-to-back, scoring 35 points and hitting seven three-pointers, is evidence that the caution is paying off. If Irving can sustain that workload, Dallas has two players capable of taking over a game on any given night.
For the Pacers, the defeat is a reminder of how thin the margin is in the NBA. They led for 32 minutes, got a superb first half from Siakam, and still lost. Their 3-8 start leaves little room for more nights like this one, and the late-game execution — a missed three, a lost rebound, a foul that ended the game — will be the focus of their film sessions this week.
There is also a wider significance for the league. The NBA has spent the past decade watching its teenage stars arrive younger and more polished, from LeBron James to Luka Doncic to Victor Wembanyama. Flagg belongs to that lineage, and his fifth 40-point game before his 20th birthday is a reminder that the league's next era is already under way.
What Happens Next
Dallas now heads out on the road. The Mavericks open a three-game road trip on Thursday against the Minnesota Timberwolves at the Target Center, with tip-off at 7 p.m. CT, according to the Dallas Sports Journal. It will be a useful test of whether the three-game winning run travels: Minnesota's defence will present a very different challenge from Indiana's, and the Mavericks will be playing their third game in five days.
The questions to watch on the trip are the same ones Monday raised. Can Flagg sustain this level of efficiency when defences load up on him? Can Irving handle a regular back-to-back workload without the minutes restriction that protected him earlier in the season? And can Dallas's supporting cast keep contributing while the two stars draw the attention? The answers will shape whether the Mavericks' 7-4 start becomes a genuine push up the Western Conference standings.
Indiana returns home to regroup, with the focus on closing games. The Pacers led for most of Monday night and still lost, and their coaching staff will want to see better late-game shot selection and defensive rebounding. Siakam's form is a bright spot: 29 points, nine rebounds and eight assists is the kind of all-round performance that wins games when the supporting cast holds up its end.
For Flagg, the next milestone is already in view. He turns 20 in December, and every 30-point game before then adds to a tally that only LeBron James leads. If Monday night is the standard he is setting for himself, the rest of the league has been warned.
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FAQ
How many points did Cooper Flagg score against the Indiana Pacers?
Cooper Flagg scored a season-high 43 points in the Dallas Mavericks' 125-122 win over the Indiana Pacers on Monday, 9 November 2026. He shot 16 of 25 from the field, 3 of 6 from three-point range and 8 of 8 from the free-throw line, and added 10 rebounds, six assists and three steals. Thirty of his points came in the second half.
What record did Cooper Flagg set with his 43-point game?
Flagg became only the second teenager in NBA history to record at least 40 points, 10 rebounds and five assists in a single game. The only other player to do it as a teenager was Kevin Durant, for the Seattle SuperSonics in the last game of the 2007-08 season. It was the fifth 40-point game of Flagg's career and his 14th game with at least 30 points before turning 20.
How did the Dallas Mavericks win the game?
Dallas overturned a 13-point deficit, with Flagg and Kyrie Irving combining for 78 points. Flagg hit two 18-foot jumpers in the final 62 seconds, and Irving's two free throws made it 125-122 with 18 seconds left. Indiana's Aaron Nesmith then missed a late three-pointer, P.J. Washington grabbed the rebound and was fouled, and the Mavericks held on. The win was Dallas's third in a row and lifted the team to 7-4.
How did Kyrie Irving play in his return from injury?
Irving scored 35 points on 11-of-18 shooting, including 7 of 10 from three-point range, in 38 minutes. It was his first back-to-back since returning from a torn ACL that sidelined him for 19 months, according to the Associated Press, and he had sat out the second night of Dallas's first back-to-back two and a half weeks earlier. His performance alongside Flagg was central to the comeback.
Who is next for the Dallas Mavericks?
Dallas opens a three-game road trip on Thursday against the Minnesota Timberwolves at the Target Center, with tip-off at 7 p.m. CT. The Mavericks will be looking to extend their three-game winning streak and build on their 7-4 start to the season.
Sources
- Reuters (Field Level Media), "Cooper Flagg posts season-high 43 as Mavs outlast Pacers", 10 November 2026.
- USA Today, "Cooper Flagg joins elite company with 40-point game in Mavs win over Pacers", 9 November 2026.
- The Indianapolis Star, "Cooper Flagg, Kyrie Irving combine for 78 points, erase 13-point Pacers lead in 125-122 Mavs' win", 9 November 2026.
- Sports Illustrated, "Cooper Flagg and Kyrie Irving too much for Pascal Siakam and the Pacers", 10 November 2026.
- Dallas Sports Journal, "Cooper Flagg Explains Mid-Range Game Behind 43-Point Night", 10 November 2026.
- Associated Press (reported via NBA News Global), "Irving's first back-to-back finished with Flagg's 43", 10 November 2026.
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