Cooper Flagg answers a question about the 2024 NBA Finals before the Dallas-Celtics matchup

As it is The Dallas Mavericks are preparing to host the Boston Celtics on Tuesday night, rookie forward Cooper Flagg reflected on how many of 2024 NBA Finals he watched ahead of his first game against Boston.

Dallas (19–30) will try to snap a three-game skid when they face the Celtics (31–18) at 8:00 PM 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 DLLS Sports’ Abby Jones, explaining that he followed most of the series despite his busy schedule at the time.

“I’ve been watching a lot. I’ve been pretty busy, but I’ve definitely been involved in most of the games.”

The conversation then turned to the Mavericks Finals team from two seasons ago, led by a 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 the postseason.

“They were unbelievable. They had two guys that played at a really high level. I think the whole team played at a really high level, 1-8, or whatever it was. They had a lot of really tough guys that played at a high level.”

Cooper Flagg talked about his observations from watching the 2023-24 Dallas Mavericks in the NBA Finals against the Celtics.

“They were unbelievable. They had two guys that played at a really high level. I think the whole team played at a really high level, 1-8, or whatever it was… pic.twitter.com/pCMooOvi1I

— Abbi Jones (@_abigaiiiil) February 3, 2026

Cooper Flagg’s breakthrough boosts Mavericks ahead of Celtics test

Now in the midst 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 emerged as the centerpiece 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 in 45 games, logging 34 minutes per game.

Its production has increased during the recent period. Over the 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 a night.

Flagg had a 34-point, 12-rebound, five-assist performance on Saturday 111–107 loss to the Houston Rockets. Last Thursday, he published a career-high 49 points in a 123–121 loss to the Charlotte Hornets in a rookie duel against Duke’s former teammate Kohn Knuepel.

As Dallas looks to stabilize against one of the league’s best teams, Flagg’s continued growth remains key in the Mavericks’ bid to halt their slump against a familiar postseason opponent.