Ladies and gentlemen, the Cooper Flagg era has officially begun. The Dallas Mavericks player has taken center stage and made the Toronto Raptors look like underdogs.
Thatās a strong start for Flagg, and if he keeps up this pace, the Mavericks could pose a serious threat to other teams this season.
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.
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ā Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) October 27, 2025
“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 living up to the hype?
If this is what heās doing in October, the other NBA teams better start paying attention because the kid isnāt just playing; heās here to break and set records.
