After a memorable outing against the Toronto Raptors on Sunday night, Dallas Mavericks rookie Cooper Flagg struggled to get going in the first back-to-back game of his NBA career. While coming up against the Oklahoma City Thunder is no easy task, the 101-94 loss only made Flagg’s display look worse.
With two points, two rebounds, and two steals on 1-for-9 shooting, Cooper Flagg simply couldn’t settle into a groove. However, during the post-game press conference, Mavericks guard Max Christie said that the team was equally culpable in Flagg’s low-scoring performance.
“It happens. He’s 18 playing against the defending champs,” Christie said. “Obviously, defensively, they’re phenomenal. He’s got someone like Lu Dort on him, who’s first team All-Defense, and kind of hounding him the entire game, so it’s going to happen.”
“I think we, as his teammates, have got to do a better job of getting him open and lowering the stress level for him,” Christie added. “So we have to set better screens, we have to get him more open, we’ve got to make him feel a lot more comfortable than I think he feels right now, and that’s not all on him. I think that’s on us as a team.”
“Knowing that teams are keying in on him and he is young, he is inexperienced, obviously. He’s got so much ability, so much potential, we’ve all seen it. So we’ve got to do a better job as teammates, making it easier for him, just making his life easier really.”
Christie gave a rather mature account of the situation. While pointing to Flagg’s inexperience, the guard shouldered a lot of the blame by focusing on the team’s flaws. In a way, this paints an extremely positive picture for the rookie, as he has a solid group of veterans supporting him and his development.
Apart from his poor shooting display against one of the best defenses in the league, the 18-year-old was also overpowered by Thunder big man Chet Holmgren, who also gave Flagg his “Welcome to the NBA” moment. Overall, this performance will be one to forget for the Mavericks rookie.
The Mavericks Fall To 1-3 On The Season
The 101-94 scoreline indicates a much closer contest, but in reality, OKC dominated for a large portion of the game. With Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren, Isaiah Hartenstein, and Ajay Mitchell running rampant, the Mavericks struggled to keep up with the Thunder offense.
The game seemed all but over heading into the fourth quarter, as the Mavs faced an 18-point deficit. However, an inspired late-game comeback led by Anthony Davis saw Dallas close the gap to one point. Unfortunately, some clutch shots by the Thunder in the closing seconds sealed the game.
Davis eventually ended with another 20-10 performance, posting 26 points and 11 rebounds on 10-for-16 shooting. He was closely supported by PJ Washington, Jaden Hardy, and Cam Christie, who combined for 40 points. Unfortunately, the contributions from the remaining players on the roster simply weren’t enough.
The Mavericks’ momentum has been stunted as they face a loss right after their first win of the season. With a 1-3 record, Dallas will need to make some crucial adjustments if they are to stay afloat.
