Dallas Mavericks rookie Cooper Flagg reflected on his best game yet after scoring 22 points in Sunday’s 139-129 victory over the Toronto Raptors at the American Airlines Center.
The No. 1 overall pick played with energy throughout, igniting a decisive 13-0 third-quarter run and finishing it with a one-handed dunk over Sandro Mamukelashvili. “Yeah, I mean there was a lot of energy in the building,” Flagg said postgame. “The fans showed up. They were amazing tonight. I thought we were competing at a high level in that fourth quarter.”
Despite the strong showing, Flagg emphasized that Dallas must sustain its effort for a full 48 minutes. “We got to be able to sustain that for the whole game,” he said. “I think we took somewhat of a step in the right direction, but it has to be a lot better.”
The Mavericks entered the matchup winless, and Flagg admitted frustration after a slow start to the season. “I know I’m kicking myself, and I’m obviously not happy,” he said. “I love to win and I want to win as many games as possible. So, it’s not a great start.”
Flagg described head coach Jason Kidd’s message in the locker room as focused on consistency. “It’s just about the competition and sustaining that for the whole game,” Flagg said. “We went through spurts where we competed really hard and took care of the ball, and spurts where we turned it over and weren’t competing as high as we should have been.”
When asked about chants from fans late in the game, the 18-year-old said he tuned out the noise. “To be honest, I don’t even know what chants they’re talking about,” Flagg said. “I’m just locked in on the game… listening to coach, listening to the guys on the team, the vets.”
Flagg also addressed a hard foul from CJ McCollum that resulted in a flagrant one. “Obviously he was just trying to stop in transition,” he said. “I don’t think it was any ill intent or anything like that from him. It is what it is. I got to deal with physicality.”
As he continues adjusting to the NBA pace, Flagg said finding his offensive rhythm remains a work in progress. “I wouldn’t say I’ve figured it out completely,” he said. “As we figure out our offense and roles get formed a little bit more, I think that’ll work itself out. I just got to keep being aggressive and assertive.”
Flagg credited his teammates for easing the pressure of being the top pick. “The pressure they’re putting on me is just to be myself,” he said. “They always want me to be great and be who I am.”
Dallas improved to 1-2 with the win, led by Anthony Davis’ 25 points and 10 rebounds and D’Angelo Russell’s 24 off the bench. The Mavericks will face the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday to close their back-to-back set.
