Dallas Mavericks rookie Cooper Flagg rebounded nicely from a rough debut in his first game of the NBA Summer League on Thursday. The No. 1 pick in the draft scored 10 points and missed all five of his three-point attempts in his first NBA action, but put in a much improved performance on Saturday.
Though the Mavericks fell to the San Antonio Spurs 76–69 , Flagg recorded 31 points with four rebounds in the game. He made three three-pointers, and simply played much better than he did in a game he called "one of the worst" of his life.
Flagg acknowledged after the game he felt more comfortable in his second Summer League game, but also quickly pointed to an area he can improve and that his mom won't be happy with—his missed free throws.
“I definitely felt a little more comfortable," Flagg told reporters. ".Taking a lot of the same shots I took last game, just trusting. I got to the line a little bit better today. Still missed a bunch of free throws. I know my mom probably wasn’t very happy with that."
Cooper Flagg said he felt more comfortable in today’s game against the Spurs. He finished with 31 points and four rebounds (10-21 FG; 8-13 FT).
— Mike Curtis (@MikeACurtis2) July 12, 2025
“I still missed a bunch of free throws. I know my mom probably wasn’t very happy with that.” pic.twitter.com/I84jTv5xPm
Flagg attempted 13 free throws during Saturday's game, but only made eight of those attempts. Flagg's mom, Kelly, has given her son honest feedback as he's risen up the basketball ranks to the NBA, and among her notes is that missing free throws is unacceptable.
"More than anything, it's free throws," Kelly told FOX Sports in March. "That really eats at me. There's no excuse for missing a free throw. I don't care. It's free for a reason. He's shot a million of them so he should never miss any."
Flagg will get the opportunity to make up for those misses and build off his strong performance on Monday, when the Mavericks face the Charlotte Hornets.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Cooper Flagg Named One Thing His Mom Wouldn't Approve of From Standout Second Game.
