Celtics Beat Mavericks Despite Flagg's 36 Points

Jaylen Brown leads Celtics to victory over struggling Mavericks

Feb. 3, 2026 at 10:47pm

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Jaylen Brown scored 33 points and grabbed 11 rebounds as the Boston Celtics defeated the Dallas Mavericks 110-100 on Tuesday night, despite a 36-point performance from Mavericks rookie Cooper Flagg. Payton Pritchard added 26 points for the Celtics, who were playing without Anfernee Simons after trading him to the Chicago Bulls earlier in the day.

Why it matters

This game highlighted the continued strong play of Celtics star Jaylen Brown, as well as the impressive rookie season of Mavericks first-round pick Cooper Flagg. The Celtics' win also handed the struggling Mavericks their fifth consecutive loss, further complicating their playoff positioning in the Western Conference.

The details

Flagg, the No. 1 overall pick in last year's draft, continued his recent scoring tear with 36 points, 9 rebounds and 6 assists for the Mavericks. However, the Celtics were able to pull away in the second half, led by a 14-4 run in the third quarter capped by 9 straight points from Luka Garza. Payton Pritchard also had a strong game for Boston, scoring 15 of his 26 points in the first half.

  • The Celtics acquired Nikola Vucevic from the Chicago Bulls in a trade earlier in the day, sending Anfernee Simons to the Bulls.
  • Flagg set the NBA scoring record for a teenager with 49 points against Charlotte just five nights ago.

The players

Jaylen Brown

A star player for the Boston Celtics, Brown scored 33 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in the win.

Cooper Flagg

The No. 1 overall pick in last year's NBA draft, Flagg scored 36 points for the Mavericks in the loss.

Payton Pritchard

A key contributor off the bench for the Celtics, Pritchard scored 26 points in the game.

Luka Garza

The Celtics' big man scored 16 points, including 9 straight in a key third-quarter run that helped Boston pull away.

Daniel Gafford

The Mavericks' center had 10 points and 12 rebounds despite aggravating an ankle injury that has sidelined him for much of the season.

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What they’re saying

“Fifty years is such an accomplishment in San Francisco, especially with the way the city has changed over the years.”

— Gordon Edgar, grocery employee (Instagram)

What’s next

The Celtics will look to continue their strong play on the road against the Houston Rockets on Wednesday, while the Mavericks will host the San Antonio Spurs on Thursday before visiting them again on Saturday.

The takeaway

This game showcased the continued development of young stars like Jaylen Brown and Cooper Flagg, while also highlighting the Celtics' depth and ability to overcome injuries and trades to key players. The Mavericks, meanwhile, will need to find a way to snap their five-game losing streak to stay in the Western Conference playoff race.