Flagg’s 12 assists showed where the easy offense came from

What changed

Cooper Flagg’s 25 points were loud early. His career-high 12 assists explained why the lead kept growing after Brooklyn started sending more attention toward him.

Flagg recorded seven assists in the second quarter and five in the third. Five of the 12 went to Daniel Gafford near the basket, helping Gafford score 18 points on 7-of-8 shooting. Flagg finished with three turnovers and made 8 of 13 shots himself.

Interpretation: the important part is not the career-high number in isolation. It is that Flagg turned defensive pressure into efficient chances for a vertical finisher. That is a repeatable way for Dallas to make aggressive coverages pay, especially when the outside shot is less reliable.