-
Tim MacMahon
DALLAS — Rookie Cooper Flagg caught the look-ahead pass as he crossed the half-court line, took one dribble and a couple of more long strides and launched for a spectacular and-1 slam dunk.
The finish over the Toronto Raptors’ Sandro Mamukelashvili elicited a roar from the crowd at the American Airlines Center, a far cry from the scattered boos heard during the Dallas Mavericks’ 0-2 start to the season. It was the highlight of an excellent all-around performance in the first NBA victory for Flagg, the No. 1 draft pick who finished Sunday night’s game with 22 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists.
“The fans have showed up for the first three games, and I thought tonight was really the first time we gave ’em something to be excited for and be on their feet for,” Flagg said after the 139-129 win over the Raptors.
The Mavs snapped out of their early-season offensive funk with seven Dallas players scoring in double figures, led by 25 points from power forward Anthony Davis and 24 from guard D’Angelo Russell, who added a team-high six assists while thriving as the sixth man a game after sitting out the entire second half due to a coach’s decision.
But the spotlight, as it often will this season, shined brightest on Flagg. According to ESPN Research, at 18 years and 309 days old, Flagg became the fifth-youngest player in NBA history to score at least 20 points in a game, trailing only Jermaine O’Neal, Kobe Bryant, Tracy McGrady and LeBron James. Flagg joined Bryant as the only players to score at least 20 points without committing a turnover in a game before turning 19.
Flagg’s fingerprints were all over Dallas’ 26-9 run in the third quarter, a stretch in which it turned a seven-point deficit into a double-digit lead. He had seven points and three assists during the spurt, punctuating it with his poster dunk that prompted teammates to leap off the bench to celebrate.
“When he’s getting the crowd going like that, our team feeds off it,” said Russell, who assisted Flagg on the and-1 dunk. “Everybody wants to see him do great. So when he’s performing like that, it’s contagious.”
Dallas center Dereck Lively II, who started the fast break with a defensive rebound and an outlet pass, offered his take.
“As soon as he took off, I knew it was going to be butter,” Lively said of Flagg. “He’s bringing his energy, getting him above the rim. The whole crowd loves it. That brings us alive.”
After entering the game ranked last in the league in offensive efficiency, the Mavs found the formula needed for them to play well on offense while superstar guard Kyrie Irving recovers from a torn ACL he suffered in March. Dallas played fast and with force, scoring 25 fast-break points and 70 points in the paint while going 29-of-39 from the free throw line.
“It feels great. I’m excited,” Flagg said. “We want to build off tonight, use it as a baseline. This team needs to just keep building and getting better.”
