**Dallas Mavericks Secure First Win of 2025-26 Season with 139-129 Victory Over Toronto Raptors**
The Dallas Mavericks snapped their early-season skid with a 139-129 win against the Toronto Raptors on Sunday night. This marked Dallas’ first victory of the 2025-26 NBA campaign.
After struggling offensively and turning the ball over frequently in the first two and a half games, the Mavericks finally found their rhythm in the third quarter. Trailing 66-64 at halftime, Dallas surged ahead with a dominant third quarter to take a 103-91 lead heading into the final period.
A key factor in the quarter’s success was the significant reduction in turnovers. The Mavericks committed 12 turnovers in the first half but limited themselves to just one in the third quarter alone.
### Halftime Message from Coach Kidd
Head coach Jason Kidd shared insight into his halftime talk with the team. “Just being honest with them. There’s no tricks here,” Kidd said. “We have to take care of the ball. We were just making careless mistakes. One way you can do that is by talking and then the other way is by slowing down. I thought we slowed down there in the third quarter. We were able to connect the dots.”
### Cooper Flagg Steals the Show
One of the most electrifying moments came when rookie Cooper Flagg threw down a massive and-one dunk with about three minutes left in the third quarter. That play energized the Mavericks, and they never looked back.
Flagg finished the night with a career-high 22 points, showcasing his potential as a rising star for Dallas.
### Turnover Troubles Begin to Ease
While the Mavericks’ offensive struggles were evident in the first half—committing 20 turnovers in total—they clearly improved in the latter stages. Flagg reflected on the issue in his post-game comments:
“Yeah, he (Kidd) definitely did [address the turnover issues at halftime]. Same thing we’ve been kind of dealing with, some stupid turnovers that we can’t make. We gotta be smarter with the ball. Honestly, when we were taking care of the ball and playing with good patience, we’re getting a lot of good looks. So the big thing he was saying was just ‘take care of it and we will get the shots that we can get.’”
### D’Angelo Russell Capitalizes on Opportunity
Guard D’Angelo Russell made the most of his increased playing time, delivering a well-rounded performance. He posted 24 points, six assists, five rebounds, and three steals, while registering a plus-26 plus-minus—the highest on the Mavericks roster.
Russell commented on the team’s offensive turnaround: “I think we just turned the ball over [in the first half] and we’re down two points going into the half. Us knowing that if we don’t turn the ball over, we got a good chance to open this thing up. That was the result.”
### Balanced Scoring Attack
Dallas had three players score 20 or more points. Along with Flagg’s 22 points, veteran Anthony Davis led the team with 25 points, further bolstering the Mavericks’ offensive firepower.
### What’s Next for Dallas?
The Mavericks will face a tough challenge on Monday when they host the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder in the second game of a back-to-back. Tip-off is scheduled for 8:30 PM EST.
Fans will be looking for Dallas to continue their improved play and build momentum moving forward in the season.
https://clutchpoints.com/nba/dallas-mavericks/mavericks-news-dallas-cooper-flagg-unlocked-something-special-raptors