Khaman Maluach and Cooper Flagg are friends, but the cordiality ends when they face each other on the court.
The two former Duke Blue Devils one-and-dones met again on Wednesday, as Flagg and the Dallas Mavericks visited Maluach and the Phoenix Suns at Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix, Ariz.
It was an entertaining game with plenty of good moments, including a highlight rejection at the rim by Maluach on Flagg in the fourth quarter.
With the Mavericks looking to take the lead with over six minutes left in regulation, Flagg got away from the defense of Suns guard Devin Booker before taking off for what seemed to be a huge throwdown.
But Maluach was there as the Suns’ last line of defense, challenging Flagg at the rim and emphatically erasing the Mavs rookie’s dunk attempt. It was a clean swat with no foul called, as Flagg went down to the floor.
The Suns quickly went on a counterattack, but Maluach got left behind as he prioritized giving Flagg a vicious staredown.
KHAMAN MALUACH MEETS COOPER FLAGG AT THE RIM AND STARES HIM DOWN 😤 pic.twitter.com/XRU44RNXim
— PHNX Suns (@PHNX_Suns) April 9, 2026
Maluach and the Suns also got the last laugh over the Mavericks, as they scored a 112-107 win in their final home game of the 2025-26 NBA regular season. He only had 4 points on 2/5 shooting, but came up huge on the other side of the floor with 14 boards (11 defensive) and 3 blocks in 30 minutes.
As for Flagg, he had a forgettable night, as he needed 18 shots from the field to get to 11 points, though he recorded 11 rebounds and 6 assists.
