Cooper Flagg Scores 10 In Summer League Debut As Mavs Edge Lakers

Dallas Mavericks rookie and No 1 draught prime Cooper Flagg contributed 10 points, six rebounds and 4 assists successful 32 minutes successful his Las Vegas Summer League debut Thursday arsenic nan Mavericks edged nan Los Angeles Lakers 87-85.

Flagg added 3 steals and a block. He went scoreless during nan 2nd half and vanished 5-for-21 from nan floor.

“Not up to my standard, but I’m going to regroup; I’m going to beryllium each right,” Flagg told ESPN postgame. “This is simply a caller feeling, caller environment, caller teammates, but nan guys settled down.“

Lakers second-year defender Bronny James missed a imaginable go-ahead trey successful nan closing seconds. Los Angeles’ Cole Swider led each scorers pinch 22 points to spell pinch 10 rebounds.

Ryan Nembhard paced Dallas pinch 21 points and Miles Kelly followed pinch 17. The main attraction, though, was undeniable.

Fans astatine nan Thomas & Mack Center buzzed erstwhile Flagg sewage touches arsenic good arsenic during his early, sporadic protect matchups against James, who scored his team’s first 5 points and vanished pinch eight.

Speaking during halftime of ESPN’s broadcast, Mavericks coach Jason Kidd lauded Flagg’s moxie during his unofficial master debut.

“I deliberation erstwhile you person personification for illustration Cooper who tin handle, who tin shoot, who tin pass, you want nan shot successful his hands,” Kidd said. “He’s a awesome decision- maker. He did that astatine Duke and besides successful precocious school. So, you get to spot it tonight. He’s going to person immoderate mistakes. We each did; we each threw it successful nan stands erstwhile successful a while, but I deliberation conscionable his poise arsenic an 18-year-old is incredible.“

Dalton Knecht (15 points) and DJ Steward (14) besides scored successful double figures for nan Lakers. Darius Bazley grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds.

Lakers defenders double-teamed Flagg upon receiving a walk successful nan backcourt aft Dallas won nan opening tip. Addressing nan series astatine halftime, Kidd said, “I deliberation that’s retired of respect.“

Flagg missed his first 2 section extremity attempts but recovered his hit pursuing a short breather successful nan first quarter. He scored six consecutive Mavericks points betwixt nan 4:35 and 2:49 mark, netting his first section extremity connected a running, one-hand dunk aft securing a bargain astatine nan different extremity of nan floor.

Flagg changeable 5-for-15 successful nan first half pinch 3 rebounds and 1 assist.

“He’s handled nan ball, he’s gotten wide-open shots for teammates, he’s finished,” Kidd said. “I deliberation you’ve seen a batch of what he tin do successful this league.“