No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg had an efficient debut for the Dallas Mavericks as they drubbed the OKC Thunder in NBA preseason.
Cooper Flagg is fitting in quite nicely for the Dallas Mavericks, helping his team past defending champion OKC Thunder in NBA preseason action, 106-89, at the Dickies Arena in Forth Worth, Texas on Tuesday (PH time).
Flagg, the no. 1 pick in this year’s NBA Draft, scored 10 points in 14 minutes on a 3-of-6 shooting clip. He also had six rebounds, three assists, and a block.
PJ Washington led all Mavs scorers with 14 points.
Dallas ran away with the game in the second quarter when the Mavericks outscored the Thunder, 37-20, to build a 26-point lead at the break.
The Mavs then led by as many as 32 points, owing to their superior rebounding and shot blocking.
Dallas out rebounded the Thunder, 58-43, while also swatting 12 shots. They also shot better from the field at 42 percent against OKC’s 31 percent.
Most of OKC’s championship core, including MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Alex Caruso, and Jalen Williams were not yet activated for this preseason game.
Lu Dort, Isaiah Hartenstein, and Chet Holmgren were also DNPs.
Brooks Barnhizer was the top scorer for OKC with 16 points.
Elsewhere, the Toronto Raptors lost in their preseason game in Vancouver as they fell against the Denver Nuggets, 112-108, at Rogers Arena.
Four players finished in double-digit scoring for Denver, with Christian Braun playing a perfect game to finish with 19 points on 8-of-8 shooting.
Nikola Jokic also didn’t miss a shot, going 5-of-5 to end up with 17 points, six rebounds, and five assists.
Brandon Ingram and RJ Barrett each had 19 points for the Raptors in the losing effort.
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Luisa Morales is a sports writer with a special interest in promoting women’s sports.
Her coverage highlights include the UAAP, PVL, Southeast Asian Games, and the FIBA World Cup. She also follows Alex Eala, the Philippine women’s national football team, and mixed martial arts.