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. 

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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.