{"id":423764,"date":"2025-12-04T09:04:17","date_gmt":"2025-12-04T09:04:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/423764\/"},"modified":"2025-12-04T09:04:17","modified_gmt":"2025-12-04T09:04:17","slug":"mavs-rookies-cooper-flagg-ryan-nembhard-steal-show-again-in-third-straight-win-vs-heat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/423764\/","title":{"rendered":"Mavs rookies Cooper Flagg, Ryan Nembhard steal show again in third-straight win vs. Heat"},"content":{"rendered":"

To paraphrase a former Mavericks<\/a> general manager who, if fans had their wish, shall go nameless, perhaps we\u2019re starting to see the vision.<\/p>\n

Not Nico Harrison\u2019s vision, exactly, but a rendition of what the Mavericks could become with a healthy and productive Anthony Davis.<\/p>\n

Add a surging Cooper Flagg and undrafted rookie Ryan Nembhard thriving as a starter and the result is a season-best three-game winning streak, the latest triumph being Wednesday\u2019s 118-108 victory over Miami in American Airlines Center.<\/p>\n

In his third game back since missing 14 games with a left calf strain<\/a>, Davis contributed 17 points and 17 rebounds as the Mavericks (8-15) overcame an early eight-point deficit, with Flagg (22 points) committing three fouls in the opening 4:15. <\/p>\n

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\u201cA lot different,\u201d Miami coach Erik Spoelstra said of facing Dallas with Davis, unlike nine days earlier when these teams met in Miami<\/a>. \u201cHe\u2019s a Hall of Fame player.<\/p>\n

\u201cLook, that\u2019s basically what\u2019s happened with their team. They haven\u2019t been able to fully realize what it could look like with all their guys healthy and in the right spots. Anthony Davis was one of the most important \u2014 if not the most important piece \u2014 to that puzzle.\u201d<\/p>\n

A 5-11 puzzle piece no one envisioned becoming this important is Nembhard, playing on a two-way contract.<\/p>\n

Coming off his spectacular 28-point, 10-assist, zero-turnover performance in Dallas\u2019 Monday night victory at Denver<\/a>, Nembhard had 15 points, one turnover and 13 assists against a Miami team (14-8) that entered the night third in the East.<\/p>\n

Related<\/p>\n

\"Dallas<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s probably upset about that turnover,\u201d Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said.<\/p>\n

Of course the assist total was a career high. The kid has only played in 10 NBA games.<\/p>\n

Two-time NBA champion coach Spoelstra knows all about Nembhard and his brother Andrew, both of whom played at Gonzaga under coach Mark Few,<\/a> a fellow Olympic team assistant with Spoelstra in 2024.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t want to hear from Mark Few anymore about any of the Nembhards,\u201d Spoelstra said with a laugh. \u201cI think he\u2019s been vying for the Nembhards forever, hounding me to get one of them on our team. <\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s a Gonzaga guy and you\u2019ve got to love those competitive guys, the Mark Few guys and he\u2019s one of them. Just super competitive. We love those stories \u2014 two-way guys that have a breakthrough. But he\u2019s doing it with a competitive spirit, for sure.\u201d<\/p>\n

Just nine days earlier in Miami, the Heat slogged out a 106-102 win over Dallas \u2014 Miami\u2019s second-lowest scoring output of the season.<\/p>\n

The Heat entered Wednesday night as the NBA\u2019s second-highest scoring team (124.3); Dallas 28th (111.1). <\/p>\n

But this is a much different Mavericks team than the one the Heat faced in Miami. Nembhard moved into the starting lineup after that Miami game, and in the four games since Dallas has scored 119, 114, 131 and 118 points.<\/p>\n

After trailing by as much as 17 points in the third quarter, Miami pulled within 110-106 with 2:54 left, but baskets by Davis and Flagg extended Dallas\u2019 lead for good.<\/p>\n

Kidd can\u2019t help but notice the closeness between fellow rookies Flagg and Nembhard, both of whom are Montverde Academy (Fla.) products.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe chemistry that they have for one another, I think sometimes rookies, when you have two or three, they all cheer for each other,\u201d Kidd said. \u201cThey all want the other one to be successful.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd I think we talk about Cooper\u2019s ability to score, but I think something that\u2019s not talked about is just he\u2019s cheering for his teammates, and that he cheers for Ryan. He wants Ryan to be successful. And you can see that and hear that on the floor. So those two have a relationship, and they both want each other to be successful.\u201d<\/p>\n

Flagg a day earlier was named Western Conference Rookie of the Month<\/a>, and despite Wednesday\u2019s early foul trouble, he looked the part against the Heat.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think we\u2019re just meshing together,\u201d Flagg said. \u201cGuys are trying to figure out their roles, and those roles are kind of getting defined, and everybody\u2019s kind of sacrificing and putting the team first.\u201d<\/p>\n

Up top! See photos of Cooper Flagg and Anthony Davis leading the Mavericks to a win over the Heat<\/p>\n

\"DallasView Gallery<\/p>\n