Cooper Flagg is cleared after putting up 29 points, 11 assists, 5 steals and 3 blocks in a 113-109 comeback win at Miami, finished by his driving layup with 10 seconds left. Dallas is 2-2, seventh, and hosts Oklahoma City on Oct. 28 on ESPN.
Flagg Finishes What He Started
Dallas trailed by 12, and Flagg ran the fourth quarter with 12 of his 29 points. At 111-109 he blocked Andrew Wiggins' running three at 0:31, then drove for the go-ahead layup at 0:10. Zaccharie Risacher sealed it by blocking Davion Mitchell at 0:05. Flagg's left shoulder is now listed as cleared. He played 40 minutes and had 5 turnovers, which is what a full load costs.
Clayton Earns Closing Minutes
Walter Clayton Jr. shot 6-7, hit both of his threes and scored 15 points with a +22 in a four-point game. He scored seven in the fourth and was in the closing lineup for the last five minutes. Kyrie Irving went 2-11 from deep and finished -6, and his pull-up three at 0:36 missed. Mavs.com and The Smoking Cuban both covered Clayton's breakout as a turning point.
Thunder, Then Reinforcements
ESPN reports that Oklahoma City arrives on a three-game win streak. Naji Marshall (illness) was upgraded from out and Sergio de Larrea (right knee) was newly listed, and both are projected back Oct. 28. Lively, Santi Aldama, Caleb Martin and Tarik Biberovic stay out with Nov. 2 targets. At 2-2, Dallas is one game behind Minnesota's 3-1 for sixth. The question for Wednesday: does Dusty May close with Clayton or hand those minutes back to Irving?
Is Cooper Flagg healthy for the Thunder game?
Flagg's left shoulder status was changed to cleared after the Miami win, where he played 40 minutes. He carries no injury tag into Wednesday.
When do the Mavericks play next?
Dallas hosts Oklahoma City on Wednesday, Oct. 28, on ESPN. The Rockets come in on Oct. 30 for an Emirates NBA Cup game.
