NBA Fans Stunned as Cooper Flagg, AD Can't Prevent Mavs Collapse vs. Queen, Pelicans

Cooper Flagg and the Dallas Mavericks blew a fourth-quarter lead against Derik Queen and the New Orleans Pelicans, falling 119–113 on the road Monday night.

Flagg and Queen, both graduates of Montverde Academy's Class of 2024, faced off after taking different paths to the NBA. Flagg spent one season at Duke before going No. 1 overall in the draft, while Queen played a year at Maryland and was selected 13th. Both rookies have emerged as standouts early this season.

Flagg finished with 16 points, six rebounds, and six assists while shooting an efficient 5-of-11 from the field. Anthony Davis carried the Mavericks offensively with 35 points and 17 rebounds, and Klay Thompson added 20 points, knocking down 5-of-12 attempts from three-point range.

For New Orleans, Queen recorded a strong all-around performance with 19 points, 11 rebounds, and six assists. Zion Williamson led the Pelicans with 24 points and nine rebounds.

Fans reacted in disbelief as Dallas unraveled down the stretch, allowing New Orleans to surge in the fourth quarter and secure the comeback victory at home.

The Mavericks fell to 11–19, remaining just outside the top 10 in the Western Conference, while the Pelicans improved  to 8–22 to move out of last place in the West.

Dallas held a narrow 63–57 halftime lead, powered by seven points from Flagg, 22 from Davis, and 20 from Thompson at the break. For New Orleans, Williamson led the way with 14 points, while Queen added 11.

The Pelicans trailed by eight entering the fourth quarter but battled back to tie the game midway through the final period. New Orleans outworked Dallas on both ends down the stretch to secure the comeback victory.

The Mavericks will look to bounce back in their next matchup as they host the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday in the second night of a back-to-back.