Cooper Flagg defended Zaccharie Risacher despite his shooting struggles and praised the Dallas Mavericks’ defensive effort after their 113-109 victory over the Miami Heat on Monday at Kaseya Center.
Flagg finished with 29 points, six rebounds, 11 assists, five steals and three blocks. He scored 12 points in the fourth quarter and made a crucial defensive play in the closing seconds, blocking Andrew Wiggins’ three-point attempt with 31 seconds remaining to help Dallas protect its lead.
The Mavericks improved to 2-2 with the win, while Miami fell to 0-4.
Flagg said Dallas did a better job of spreading the floor offensively and adjusting to Miami’s defensive approach. The Heat had packed the gaps to limit driving opportunities, forcing the Mavericks to make the right passes and take available shots.
Flagg also praised Zaccharie Risacher for his contributions beyond scoring, expressing confidence that the forward would overcome his shooting struggles.
“He makes us 15, 20 points better when he’s being active and getting steals and playing his defense,” Flagg said. “I have no doubt that his shots are going to start to fall.”
Flagg also highlighted Walter Clayton Jr.’s performance. Clayton scored 15 points on 6-of-7 shooting from the field, including 2-of-2 from three-point range, and finished with a team-best plus-22 rating.
Clayton had played in a stay-ready game earlier Monday before contributing to Dallas’ win against Miami.
“Huge shout-out to Walt for just staying ready,” Flagg said.
PJ Washington also earned praise for his defensive work against Giannis Antetokounmpo, who recorded 29 points, 15 rebounds and 11 assists. Washington finished with 20 points and played a key role in Dallas’ effort to contain the Milwaukee Bucks star.
“Defensively, he’s been our anchor, with him and Gaff, and they’ve been holding down the fort,” Flagg said.
Flagg’s all-around performance proved decisive in a game that remained competitive until the final minute. In addition to his scoring and playmaking, his five steals and three blocks helped Dallas generate defensive stops against a Miami team still searching for its first win of the season.
Asked about his approach to impacting games in multiple ways, Flagg emphasized making the right decisions rather than focusing solely on scoring.
“Just making the right plays, whether it was scoring, passing, rebounding, getting in the lane, steals, blocks, just trying to impact the game and impact winning and competing at a high level,” Flagg said.
The Mavericks return home to face the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday, while the Heat visit the Atlanta Hawks the same night.
