PHILADELPHIA — The Rising Stars Challenge isn’t until February, but Saturday’s game between the Mavericks and Philadelphia 76ers featured two rookies with a pretty good chance of being invited to the annual showcase.
Representing the Mavericks was versatile wing Cooper Flagg, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA draft who’s lived up to the hype just two months into his short professional career.
VJ Edgecombe, the man picked third by the 76ers just two picks later, wanted to prove why he was worthy of such a high selection, too.
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Both rookies produced memorable performances in their first career matchup against each other, but it was Edgecombe’s team that emerged victorious as the Mavericks suffered a 121-114 loss at Xfinity Mobile Arena.
Midway through the fourth quarter, Flagg was defended by Edgecombe and the former Baylor standout forced him into a contested floater. The 76ers rookie grabbed the rebound and used his speed to go coast to coast, using a eurostep to avoid Naji Marshall for an easy layup. Edgecombe celebrated the play by mimicking his own move.
Edgecombe finished with 26 points, only outscored by his own teammate Tyrese Maxey, who led all scorers with 38 points. After the game, he swapped jerseys with Flagg and the two posed for a photo, just as they did on draft night.
“I think we both played a solid game,” Flagg said. “[Edgecombe] was aggressive. Got to his spots and rose up. I knew that’s what he was capable of. He’s a great player. Been playing against him for a couple years live now, competing at a really high level. I know the competitor that he is and the level he brings every single night. I knew what to expect coming in.”
Saturday marked Flagg’s final game as an 18-year-old since he will turn 19 on Sunday. He led the Mavericks with 24 points, three rebounds and three assists. His finale as an 18-year-old was a success if you check the final box score, but Flagg would’ve preferred to leave with a win.
Flagg finishes with 526 points, the third-most points by an 18-year-old in NBA history. He finished 13 points shy of second-place Kobe Bryant (539), while LeBron James (625) holds the record.
Marshall entered the game needing just one point to reach 3,000 career points. He eclipsed the mark with his first layup of the game at the 10:02 mark of the first quarter. He finished with 22 points and 10 rebounds with four assists, but also played a big part of Dallas’ turnover problem with five giveaways. The Mavericks had 18 turnovers as a team that led to 23 points for Philadelphia.
Anthony Davis reached a milestone on Saturday by appearing in his 800th career game. He entered probable with an illness, but didn’t show any signs of fatigue with a double-double of 24 points and 14 rebounds in 34 minutes.
The Sixers were without Joel Embiid, who did not play because of an illness and right knee injury management. Paul George also missed the game because of left knee injury management. He played 33 minutes in Friday’s win over the New York Knicks so the Sixers rested him on the second night of a back-to-back.
Those absences didn’t seem to matter because of the Sixers’ talented young core, led by Maxey. The Garland native used his shifty dribble to get wherever he wanted on the court for scoring opportunities. Dominick Barlow added 21 points and four rebounds. Edgecombe had a 14-point first quarter and didn’t let foul trouble deter him from being aggressive.
“VJ’s good. He’s aggressive. He’s fearless,” said Mavericks coach Jason Kidd. “He can shoot it. He can put it on the floor and get to the rim. I thought Cooper did his best to put us in a position to win.”
The last time the Mavericks were in Philadelphia was memorable because it was on the heels of the Luka Doncic trade, but former general manager Nico Harrison also orchestrated a deal to acquire Caleb Martin from the Sixers in exchange for Quentin Grimes. The former Mavericks wing had just six points and seven rebounds. Martin did not play for the fourth straight game.
After a brief one-game homestand, the Mavericks returned to the road to begin the first of a two-game trip that started in the City of Brotherly Love. They will conclude the trip with a visit to New Orleans. The Pelicans are the worst team in the Western Conference, but they entered Saturday’s game against the Indiana Pacers riding a three-game win streak.
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