Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs spoiled Cooper Flagg’s first-ever NBA regular-season game.
Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs put a cork in Cooper Flagg’s dream debut, winning their opener against the Dallas Mavericks, 125-92, at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas on Wednesday night (Thursday, Manila time).
Wembanyama dominated his matchup with Flagg, giving the rookie a rude welcome, finishing with a double-double of 40 points and 15 rebounds. He was also highly efficient with a +/- 31 in efficiency.
After a back-and-forth first two quarters, the Spurs surged forward with a 13-0 run before the break and really blew the game wide open in the third quarter — creating distance between them with a third canto where they outscored the Mavs, 33-21.
Heading into the final frame, the Spurs were ahead by 21, 93-72.
The Spurs pushed their advantage to as big as 33 points, which was also the margin of victory at the final buzzer.
Flagg struggled with a -29 in efficiency. He finished with 10 points on 4-of-13 shooting. He also had 10 rebounds and one steal.
Last season’s Rookie of the Year Stephon Castle had 22 markers for the Spurs on 8-of-12 shooting. He also stuffed the stat sheet with seven rebounds, six assists, and two steals.
Anthony Davis was the bright spot for Dallas with 22 points, 13 rebounds, one assist, two steals, and a block.
Elsewhere, Anthony Edwards did the heavy lifting in a close victory for the Minnesota Timberwolves, 118-114, against the Portland Trail Blazers at the Moda Center in Oregon.
Edwards dropped 41 points even as he was deemed questionable prior to the game because of back spasms. He led the cavalry for the Wolves in the fourth, where they outscored their foes, 30-19, to flip the script on Portland.
More importantly, he made clutch baskets, including a triple to give his team a 114-112 lead late to help them pull off the win.
Julius Randle added 19 markers for Timberwolves as well while Jerami Grant paced the Blazers with 29.
Booker’s Suns beat Kings
In the other games, Devin Booker dropped 31 points in a 120-116 victory for the Phoenix Suns at home against the Sacramento Kings.
Phoenix recovered from a double-digit deficit in the first canto, 19-29. The Kings also led by as much as 20 points, but Booker’s offense helped his team claw back.
Veteran guard Dillon Brooks added 22 points in the victory that also gave Jordan Ott a winning debut as coach.
A double-double from OG Anunoby powered the New York Knicks past the Cleveland Cavaliers, 119-111.
Anunoby had 24 points and 14 rebounds in the victory. Donovan Mitchell had 31 markers in the loss for Cleveland.
The Charlotte Hornets, for their part, won over the Brooklyn Nets, 136-117. The Orlando Magic also took the win on their season opener thanks to Paolo Banchero’s 24 points over the Miami Heat, 125-121.
The Toronto Raptors, meanwhile, blew out the Atlanta Hawks, 138-118.
Tyrese Maxey’s 40 points paced the Philadelphia 76ers in an escape act over the Boston Celtics at TD Garden, 117-116.
The Chicago Bulls also beat the Detroit Pistons, 115-111.
Ja Morant’s Memphis Grizzlies also emerged victorious against New Orleans and Zion Williamson, 128-122, thanks to a 35-point explosion from Morant.
Giannis Antetokounmpo unleashed 37 points and 14 rebounds in a win for the Milwaukee Bucks over the Washington Wizards, 133-120, while Walker Kessler also led the Utah Jazz in a home win against the Los Angeles Clippers, 129-108.
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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.