LAS VEGAS (AP) \u2014 Cooper Flagg made his professional debut Thursday night in the NBA Summer League and celebrated an 87-85 win over Bronny James and the Los Angeles Lakers.<\/p>\n
Flagg finished with 10 points on 5-for-21 shooting, including 0 for 5 from 3-point range. He also had six rebounds, four assists, three steals and one block. Though Flagg struggled at times to find his groove, there were flashes as to why he was chosen No. 1 overall last month, doing plenty of little things that helped the Mavericks seal the win, including a key block near the end of the game.<\/p>\n
Flagg swatted DJ Steward\u2019s attempt with 1:10 remaining, and Ryan Nembhard made a 3-pointer at the other end to give Dallas the 87-85 lead.<\/p>\n
\u201cI couldn\u2019t really get into a rhythm, it\u2019s a different environment, obviously very different from college, it\u2019s probably very different from what the real NBA is gonna be like,\u201d Flagg said after the game. \u201cThe coaches had a lot of confidence in me. They\u2019ve been telling me they want me to experiment, try some new things, and I was trying to be aggressive, and that\u2019s new for me too.<\/p>\n
\u201cI would say that might be one of the worst games in my life, but we got the win, that\u2019s what really matters to me.\u201d<\/p>\n
Flagg strolled into UNLV\u2019s Thomas and Mack Center<\/a> for the game at 4:17 p.m., wearing Mavericks gear, bright white New Balance shoes, and an emotionless look on his face as he passed through security.<\/p>\n Roughly 45 minutes later, he wore the same stone-cold face as he came out for warmups shortly after 5 p.m.<\/p>\n \u201cI was obviously a little nervous, it\u2019s a new environment, a lot of new fans and whatnot,\u201d Flagg said. \u201cSo I was a little nervous, a little excited, but just happy to be here. It\u2019s a dream come true, so I\u2019m just trying to enjoy the moment.\u201d<\/p>\n His fans more than made up for it with plenty of energy, electrifying the jam-packed arena that cheered loudest when he was announced as a starter in his first Summer League game.<\/p>\n Flagg missed his first two attempts of the game, picked up his first foul just 46 seconds into the game, and gave the crowd what they\u2019d been anticipating, going one-on-one with fellow fan favorite James.<\/p>\n James buried his first attempt over Flagg, and then hit a 3-pointer after the 6-foot-8 Duke product missed his second attempt to give the Lakers a 5-0 lead.<\/p>\n Flagg excited the crowd<\/a> at the 4:30 mark of the first quarter, jamming home his first points.<\/p>\n