Cooper Flagg keeps collecting praise, and the latest voice to jump into the conversation is former NBA guard Evan Turner, who went so far as to say the Dallas Mavs teenager “is better than Giannis'' Antetokounmpo.
Turner’s comments came after Flagg and the perennial MVP candidate both put up 29-point, 11-assist nights in Miami on Oct. 26. On Sports Illustrated’s Open Floor show, Turner said he came away impressed by what he saw from the Dallas rookie in the 113-109 win over the Heat.
“Hey, I was skeptical, bro, but Cooper… He could have had 40-something,” Turner said. “He literally was getting his guys in like that. Hey, that’s a bad boy, bro ...
“He literally turned it on ... taking it into the paint on Giannis,” Turner added. “Like, he was being nice that night. He should have had a 40-point triple.
"That boy is cold. He’s here.”
Flagg’s night was loaded from start to finish. He finished with 29 points, 6 rebounds, 11 assists, 5 steals, and 3 blocks in 40 minutes, while shooting 12-of-23 from the field and 2-of-8 from three-point range. Antetokounmpo answered with 29 points, 15 rebounds, and 11 assists.
The biggest swing came late. Twelve of Flagg’s points came in the fourth quarter, and he delivered when Dallas needed it most.
With 31 seconds left and the Mavericks up two, Andrew Wiggins launched a three that would have given Miami the lead. Flagg rejected it.
After a timeout, he attacked the rim for a layup that pushed Dallas ahead by four with 10 seconds remaining.
Dallas beat the star-studded Heat 113-109, handing Miami its first 0-4 start since 2008-09.
Turner’s history of not being a fan of “The Greek Freak'' doesn’t change the larger point: Flagg has been putting up numbers that invite big-name comparisons. Through five games this season, he’s averaging 26.8 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 6.6 assists while shooting 55.7% from the field.
The Mavericks are 4-2 and have won three straight in their first season under coach Dusty May. They’ll try to keep it going Monday against the winless Sacramento Kings at American Airlines Center, with tip-off set for 7 p.m. CT.
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