Lakers vs Mavericks, Rockets vs Warriors score as LeBron James, Cooper Flagg and Steph Curry react

LeBron James has expressed his “love” for Cooper Flagg’s performances after the 19-year-old scored 45 points in the Dallas Mavericks’ 134-128 home win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday.

The Mavericks are 12th in the Western Conference but handed the third-place Lakers a second straight loss despite James scoring 30 in response in the absence of the injured Luka Doncic.

“He seems to love the game,” James said of Flagg, the No. 1 overall pick in the draft. “He’s working hard.

“Cooper has been in a zone the last two games, but he’s also been playing consistent basketball all year.”

Analysis: LeBron James on the rise of Cooper Flagg

James said he had followed Flagg from the forward’s high school days in Maine to his collegiate exploits with Duke before entering the NBA.

“From then on I knew he was special,” the four-time NBA MVP said. “It’s getting better and better.

“I love what he’s doing; I love what he brings to this franchise. It’s great to put the ball in someone’s hands so they can get through tough times.

“When you go through tough times, it allows you to grow at a faster rate than other players. And that’s what [late coach] Paul Silas, may he rest in peace, did it for me. [at the Cleveland Cavaliers] in my rookie year [in 2003].

“I basically started at point guard from the beginning and he allowed me to make mistakes and play against tough defenses and stuff like that.

“I had to do the readings or whatever, so I see similarities in that… that’s what I was trying to fix. It’s cool to see [Flagg go] from the beginning of the season to where he is today, as a fan of him and a fan of the game.”

Cooper Flagg: LeBron ‘one of the greatest’

Flagg and James had been “showing respect” when they spoke on the court after the game, the prodigy explained.

“They’ll have more season than we have left and they’ll make the play-offs,” Flagg said. “Good luck to them and whoever they face.

“I was a little kid watching him go through his entire career, so it’s really impressive, first of all, just watching him and seeing him be able to do the things that he’s still capable of doing.

“It’s a dream come true. These are the moments, these are the moments when I can face someone like that, with the career he’s had.

“He’s one of the biggest, so it’s amazing… I grew up watching him and idolizing him.”

NBA results: Steph Curry ‘very grateful’ after Rockets vs Warriors

Elsewhere in the NBA, Kevin Durant scored 31 points and found Alperen Sengun for the game-winning basket with 11.1 seconds left as the Houston Rockets beat the Golden State Warriors 117-116 at Chase Center.

Stephen Curry contributed 29 points for the Warriors after missing 27 games with a right knee injury.

“I felt good,” said Curry, who played for 26 minutes and felt like he got better as his performance went on.

“There were some good nerves. Coming off the bench, you’re trying to pace yourself physically and mentally.

“After all the work you did in rehab to get ahead… I’m sure he was very grateful.”

Here are the latest NBA results for the weekend of April 5, 2026.

NBA standings, playoff bracket: What the picture looks like

If the regular season had ended after the final round of games, the Miami Heat would face the Orlando Magic and the Toronto Raptors would face the Charlotte Hornets in play-in games.

The Portland Trail Blazers would face the Golden State Warriors and the Phoenix Suns would also face the LA Clippers in those games.

Confirmed first-round play-off games would include the Lakers against the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Cleveland Cavaliers against the Atlanta Hawks, the Rockets against the Denver Nuggets and the New York Knicks against the Philadelphia 76ers.

You can find the latest pictures and play-off standings in the NBA site.