The Dallas Mavericks handed the Oklahoma City Thunder their first loss of the season Wednesday night, rolling 120-96 at American Airlines Center. Cooper Flagg led the way with 26 points, five rebounds and eight assists, and afterward he gave his flowers to Zaccharie Risacher, as reported by ClutchPoints.
“I think we’re 15 to 20 points better with him just doing the little things,” Flagg said.
Risacher put up 13 points on 5-of-6 shooting with six rebounds in 29 minutes off the bench. On the season he’s at 9.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, 1.8 steals and 1.8 blocks a night. PJ Washington added 18 and nine for Dallas, which moved to 3-2. OKC fell to 4-1.
The IAHHM Take
Carolina fans know what Flagg is. We watched him do this at Duke, and now he’s doing it to the defending standard of the West. Twenty-six and eight with a blowout over the Thunder is a statement, and the playmaking is what jumps off the page. He’s not just a scorer.
The Risacher piece is interesting too. Dallas got the former No. 1 overall pick in an offseason three-team trade with the Thunder and the Hawks, and on Wednesday the Mavs picked up his fourth-year option. Flagg’s message was clear: Risacher’s value is the defense, the hustle and the effort plays. “He’s been huge for us so far, and we’re gonna need him to keep getting better and keep playing with the same fire,” Flagg added.
Two young wings who can guard, run and make plays is a scary foundation. Dallas hosts Houston on Friday. Is Flagg already a top-25 player in this league?
Keep up with the rookie wave, including Meleek Thomas’ 16-point NBA debut.
Source: ClutchPoints
