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Tim MacMahonOct 27, 2025, 02:59 PM<\/p>\n
Close<\/a>Joined ESPNDallas.com in September 2009Covers the Dallas Cowboys and Dallas MavericksAppears regularly on ESPN Dallas 103.3 FM<\/p>\n DALLAS — Rookie Cooper Flagg<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n The finish over the Toronto Raptors<\/a>‘ Sandro Mamukelashvili<\/a> elicited a roar from the crowd at the American Airlines Center, a far cry from the scattered boos heard during the Dallas Mavericks<\/a>‘ 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.<\/p>\n “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<\/a> win over the Raptors.<\/p>\n 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<\/a> and 24 from guard D’Angelo Russell<\/a>, 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.<\/p>\n 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<\/a>, Kobe Bryant<\/a>, Tracy McGrady<\/a> and LeBron James<\/a>. Flagg joined Bryant as the only players to score at least 20 points without committing a turnover in a game before turning 19.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n AgeJermaine O’Neal18 years, 101 daysKobe Bryant18 years, 133 daysTracy McGrady18 years, 265 daysLeBron James18 years, 303 daysCooper Flagg18 years, 309 days<\/p>\n “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.”<\/p>\n