The post Watch Mavericks' Cooper Flagg drain his first NBA 3-pointer appeared first on ClutchPoints .
Dallas Mavericks rookie Cooper Flagg drained his first NBA 3-pointer Friday night and followed it with the kind of all-around hustle that has this building buzzing, even though the Washington Wizards held a 76-65 lead midway through the third quarter.
The 18-year-old forward pulled up and splashed a triple that briefly injected life into a Mavericks offense that's still trying to find its footing after Wednesday's rough opener . Flagg didn't just chase scoring; he set up teammates, ran the floor, and came away with a stat line that reflected a rookie handling bigger responsibilities: 7 points, 3 rebounds, and 4 assists in 21 minutes.
Washington hasn't made it easy. Kyshawn George paced the Wizards with 26 points, and the visitors were shooting better overall as they built a double-digit lead in the first half. Still, the Mavericks, led by Anthony Davis ' 16 points and 10 rebounds, kept clawing back, with Flagg's three serving as a reminder why Dallas invested the No. 1 pick in him.
This was never going to be a pure scoring night for Flagg; he's more of a do-everything prospect out of Duke who wins with versatility. On this night, he flashed that positional polish: a sweet spin for a slam earlier in the game, a few tidy passes into the paint, and a willingness to mix it up defensively against veterans.
Dallas coach Jason Kidd has been careful to temper expectations . Flagg's role will grow when the situation calls for it, but the first 3-point make is a milestone regardless of the outcome. It gives Flagg and this roster another dimension at the perimeter. That tiny strategic shift could make a difference in a tight Western Conference down the line.
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