Ryan Nembhard's 23 assists break coach Jason Kidd's rookie Mavs record
in blowout of Bulls in finale
[April 13, 2026]
By SCHUYLER DIXON
DALLAS (AP) — Ryan Nembhard broke Dallas coach Jason
Kidd's club rookie record with 23 assists after No. 1 pick Cooper
Flagg's debut season ended with an ankle injury, and the Mavericks beat
the Chicago Bulls 149-128 in a season finale Sunday night. |

Dallas Mavericks' Ryan Nembhard drives against Chicago Bulls' Lachlan
Olbrich during an NBA basketball game Sunday, April 12, 2026, in Dallas.
(AP Photo/Albert Pena) |
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John Poulakidas scored 28 points to lead the Mavericks in a
meeting of also-rans that more closely resembled a summer league
game. Moussa Cisse had 17 points and 20 rebounds, which tied Roy
Tarpley's rookie club record from 1986-87.
Flagg scored 10 points in 10 minutes before exiting with a
sprained left ankle in the second quarter. The 19-year-old
Rookie of the Year contender finished the season averaging 21.0
points, 5.4 rebounds and 4.5 assists in 70 games.
Rob Dillingham scored 25 points for the Bulls, who head into an
uncertain offseason looking for a new head of basketball
operations and a decision on the future of coach Billy Donovan.
CEO Michael Reinsdorf has said he wants Donovan to return.
Chicago (31-51) was already locked into the ninth-worst record
going into the lottery. Dallas (26-56) started the day tied with
Memphis for the sixth-worst record and ended it even with New
Orleans for the seventh-worst mark. The Pelicans won the season
series with the Mavericks.
Tyler Smith and AJ Johnson scored 20 points apiece for Dallas as
both teams had eight players in double figures, including all
nine who came off the bench.
Nembhard, who scored 15 points, set a franchise record for
assists in a regulation game and fell two shy of Kidd's club
mark of 25 in a two-overtime game in February 1996. Kidd's
rookie record was 17 in 1994-95.
The Mavericks led 45-34 after their highest-scoring quarter of
the season in the first and 80-56 following their most prolific
half of the season.
Dwight Powell made the 12th start of what could be the last of
11-plus seasons with the Mavericks, finishing with seven points
and 12 rebounds. The 34-year-old Canadian was a rookie when he
was part of the trade that brought Rajon Rondo to Dallas from
Boston during the 2014-15 season.
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