In a battle of two of the top picks in the 2025 NBA draft, it was VJ Edgecombe and the Philadelphia 76ers that emerged with the win over Cooper Flagg and the Dallas Mavericks on Saturday.

Edgecombe produced 26 points, six rebounds and four assists to help the Sixers to the 121-114 victory at the Xfinity Mobile Arena. On the other side, Flagg finished with 24 points, four rebounds and three assists to lead the Mavericks.

The two have had plenty of battles over the years, including a second-round NCAA Tournament matchup in March, when Flagg and Duke defeated Baylor. They swapped jerseys after the game on Saturday to commemorate their first NBA matchup.

“We’ve been going against each other since high school,” Edgecombe said. “College, even, we ran into each other. Now in the league. I’m happy for him. He finally found a rhythm. Obviously, he had a shaky start, kind of, but to see him play through it and continue to grow, that is amazing, man. Credit to Coop.”

Flagg is averaging 18.8 points, 6.4 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.3 steals on 47.8% shooting from the field in 28 games with the Mavericks. The No. 1 pick ranks second in rookie scoring and is one of three first-year players with multiple 30-point games.

Edgecombe, the third pick, is third in scoring among rookies, averaging 16 points, 5.5 rebounds, four assists and 1.3 steals while shooting 38.3% from 3-point range. He and Flagg are among the three rookies with at least 20 points in four straight games this season.

After facing each other over the years, Edgecombe emerged with the first win over Flagg in the NBA. Flagg will look to even the series in their second and final matchup of the season on Jan. 1 (8:30 p.m. EST, NBA TV).

“I knew that’s what he was capable of,” Flagg said of Edgecombe. “He is a great player. I’ve been playing against him for a couple of years 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. He is a high-level player.”

Note: Ky Carlin of Sixers Wire contributed to this story