George and Markkanen silence Dallas late, Flagg blazing but beaten
Cooper Flagg’s best game : there are games that smell of gunpowder, noise and sweat — games you’ll still be telling stories about years from now. Utah–Dallas was one of them. After a breathless fight that went to overtime, the Jazz won 140-133, carried by an incendiary duo, Keyonte George and Lauri Markkanen. Across from them, Cooper Flagg tried everything, gave everything, nearly wrecked the place. 42 points, lightning from every corner of the court, but a bitter loss.
A heavyweight fight from the tip-off
From the first possessions the tone was set. No feel-out round. No calculation. They ran. They shot. They answered. Keyonte George stormed into the game like a man walking into a street brawl — no permission asked. Pull-ups, drives, rhythm threes. Dallas took blows but didn’t fold. Cooper Flagg played without fear and without a filter. Threes, step-backs, transition. The rookie hadn’t read the script — he wrote his own.
The score climbed fast. Too fast for the defences. Every bucket felt like an uppercut. Nobody wanted to give an inch.
Markkanen lays down the law
When the game threatened to tip into chaos, Lauri Markkanen brought order. His order. Pristine outside shots, authoritative attacks at the rim, and that almost insolent calm that Utah needed. The Finn smelled the moment, slowed when needed, sped up when he could. The Jazz clung to him like a lifeline.
Dallas answered again, fed by Flagg’s raw energy, but Utah held. Always. The game became a tightrope over the void.
Cooper Flagg — the future is already here
42 points. That number hits. But it doesn’t tell the whole story. Flagg didn’t just score. He carried, he shouted, he provoked. He took tough shots, owned the moment, hunted the knockout. On every hot possession the ball seemed to find his hands. And often, it went in.
He didn’t win. But he left a mark. Performances like that spill over the stat sheet and make scouts, coaches and the whole league sit up.
Overtime: Jazz territory
When the regulation buzzer sounded nobody exhaled. Overtime is a mental test. Utah stepped up. George took back control, Markkanen unfolded, the defence finally tightened. Dallas pushed; Utah executed. Each possession was one step closer to the win.
The Jazz didn’t flinch. They kept hitting until the exhausted Mavericks folded.
Utah moves on, Flagg issues a warning
This win won’t fix everything, but it says a lot. Utah has grit, leaders and an identity taking shape. George and Markkanen form a duo that can hurt, especially in games with no safety net.
And then there’s Cooper Flagg. Beaten tonight, sure. Far from a loser. Games like this forge careers. The NBA’s been warned. He isn’t waiting his turn. He’s already here.
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