NBA: P.J. Washington, Cooper Flagg propel Mavericks past Jazz

PJ Washington's 26 points and Cooper Flagg's all-around performance powered Dallas to a 112-100 home win over Utah on Friday in NBA Cup group-stage competition.

Flagg finished with 21 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists and three steals, matching Kyrie Irving's total in steals, to help lead the Mavericks' defensive effort.

Dallas forced Utah into 21 turnovers, helping offset the Jazz's advantage from 3-point range. Led by Lauri Markkanen, who scored all 24 of his team-high points on 8-for-15 shooting from beyond the arc, Utah made six more 3-pointers than the Mavericks (15-for-39 to 9-for-32).

Rookie Darryn Peterson scored 21 points for Utah, while Keyonte George added 16 points and nine assists.

The Mavericks went on a 19-7 run late in the second quarter, turning a 42-35 deficit into a 54-49 lead on a Washington 3-pointer with 2:31 remaining.

Utah managed to tie the game at 57-57 by halftime.

With their takeaways and a 55-41 rebounding advantage, the Mavericks wore down Utah in the second half. Dallas outscored the visitors 32-19 in the third quarter and continued its surge into the fourth, scoring the period's first seven points to open a game-high 20-point lead.

Dallas enjoyed a 44-19 scoring advantage among its reserves, including 13 points from Morez Johnson Jr. and 12 apiece from Walter Clayton Jr. and Josh Okogie.

Johnson led the Mavericks' dominance on the glass, grabbing 17 rebounds, including 10 on the offensive end. His efforts helped Dallas to a 20-5 advantage in second-chance points.

Irving scored 14 points, joining Washington and Flagg as Dallas starters in double figures.

Mavericks reserves Santi Aldama and Naji Marshall chipped in with eight and seven points, respectively.

There were four ties and four lead changes in the first quarter before Utah took a 28-26 lead after 12 minutes.

Friday's loss marked Utah's seventh straight, including each of the first three games on the Jazz's four-game road trip.

--Field Level Media/Reuters