As the Dallas Mavericks prepare to host the Boston Celtics on Tuesday night, rookie forward Cooper Flagg reflected on how much of the 2024 NBA Finals he watched ahead of his first matchup against Boston.
Dallas (19–30) will try to snap a three-game skid when it faces the Celtics (31–18) at 8:00 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock. The meeting marks the Mavericks’ first matchup this season against Boston, which reached the NBA Finals two seasons ago.
Flagg addressed the topic while speaking with Abby Jones of DLLS Sports, explaining that he followed much of the series despite a busy schedule at the time.
“I watched a good amount of it. I was pretty busy but I definitely tuned into most of the games.”
The conversation then turned to the Mavericks’ Finals team from two seasons ago, which was led by former franchise cornerstone Luka Doncic before he was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers last February. Flagg credited the depth and toughness of that Dallas group during its postseason run.
“They were incredible. They had two guys playing at a really high level. I mean the whole team was playing at a really high level, 1-8, or whatever it was. They had a lot of really tough guys playing at a high level.”
Cooper Flagg spoke on his observations from watching the 2023-24 Dallas Mavericks team in the NBA Finals facing the Celtics.
“They were incredible. They had two guys playing at a really high level. I mean the whole team was playing at a really high level, 1-8, or whatever it… pic.twitter.com/pCMooOvy1Y
— Abby Jones (@_abigaiiiil) February 3, 2026
Cooper Flagg’s breakout stretch fuels Mavericks ahead of Celtics test
Now in the middle of his rookie season, Flagg is preparing to face a Celtics team that remains near the top of the Eastern Conference standings. The 19-year-old has emerged as a central piece of Dallas’ rotation, averaging 19.8 points, 6.6 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 1.2 steals per game while shooting 48.4 percent from the field and 28.9 percent from three-point range across 45 games, logging 34 minutes per contest.
His production has surged during a recent stretch. Over his last seven games, Flagg is averaging 24.4 points, 7.6 rebounds, 3.6 assists and one steal per game while shooting 51.5 percent from the field and 31 percent from three in 31.3 minutes per night.
Flagg is coming off a 34-point, 12-rebound and five-assist performance in Saturday’s 111–107 loss to the Houston Rockets. Last Thursday, he posted a career-high 49 points in a 123–121 loss to the Charlotte Hornets in a rookie duel against former Duke teammate Kon Knuppel.
As Dallas looks to steady itself against one of the league’s top teams, Flagg’s continued growth remains central to the Mavericks’ effort to halt their slide against a familiar postseason opponent.
