Cooper Flagg returned to lead the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA Cup game against Zion Williamson and the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday. The former Duke phenom missed his first game of the season due to illness when Dallas matched up against the New York Knicks on Wednesday.Flagg helped the Mavericks snap a two-game losing streak with a scintillating performance. The rookie recorded a new career-high in points as Dallas eked out a 118-115 win over the Pelicans at home.Flagg finished with 29 points on 12 of 19 shooting, including 0 of 4 from beyond the arc, and 5 of 6 from the free-throw line. He also recorded seven rebounds, five assists and two steals in 32:21 minutes. The standout rookie committed two turnovers and was a +9 on the night.Cooper Flagg Highlights vs. New Orleans Pelicans (Nov. 21)Flagg took his place in the starting lineup, with P.J. Washington, Max Christie, Brandon Williams and Daniel Gafford being the other starters. Klay Thompson was moved to the bench to accommodate the No. 1 pick in the starting five.Flagg wasted no time in announcing his return as the rookie scored Dallas' first basket of the night with a nice left-handed layup through traffic. His second shot attempt came from beyond the arc, but he failed to knock it down. He then swished a mid-range jump shot and quickly extended his scoring tally to four points.The Mavericks rookie never took his foot off the accelerator, and his aggressiveness allowed him to score two more points in the period. After the first quarter, Cooper Flagg had six points, one assist and one steal, while shooting 3 of 6 from the floor.Flagg didn't start the second quarter, but made another shot as soon as he checked into the game. He missed his next three field goal attempts as his 3-point shooting woes continued. At halftime, the Mavericks rookie had eight points, one rebound, two assists and one steal in 15 minutes. He shot 4 of 10 from the floor, including 0 of 4 from beyond the arc.The former Duke standout was brilliant after the break and helped the Mavericks take their second lead of the game after trailing by double digits. Flagg used his physicality and made tough baskets in the paint while also unleashing a ferocious dunk that got the crowd inside the arena on their feet. The rookie sensation scored nine points in the third quarter.Flagg was outstanding in the final quarter as he dropped 12 points on 4 of 5 shooting. He once again excelled in the clutch and made huge plays offensively as well on the boards, pulling down four rebounds in the period.