Cooper Flagg, Mavs Excite Fans in 1st Game After Anthony Davis Trade Despite Loss to Wemby, Spurs

Cooper Flagg put on a show despite a Dallas Mavericks 135-123 home loss to Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs on Thursday in their first game following the Anthony Davis trade.

Davis was part of an eight-player trade Tuesday that sent Mavericks Jaden Hardy, D'Angelo Russell and Dante Exum to the Wizards in exchange for Khris Middleton, AJ Johnson, Malaki Branham and Marvin Bagley III, along with draft picks.

Flagg finished with 32 points, six rebounds and four assists on 14-of-27 shooting, but it was not enough as the Mavericks fell at home. Naji Marshall also scored 32 points, while Max Christie added 16.

Fresh off a 116-106 win over top-seeded Oklahoma City, Wembanyama led San Antonio with 29 points as the Spurs extended their winning streak to three games and improved to 35-12, remaining five games behind the Thunder in the Western Conference.

Wembanyama added 11 rebounds and six assists while shooting 9-of-14 from the field. De'Aaron Fox finished with 17 points and 17 assists, and Harrison Barnes chipped in 19.

Fans reacted to Flagg's electric 32-point performance following the loss.

The Spurs carried a 74-63 lead into halftime after Harrison Barnes knocked down a 3-pointer just before the break. Dallas trimmed the deficit to three after three quarters, closing the period with a Flagg basket and a blocked shot on De'Aaron Fox.

San Antonio pulled away in the fourth, outscoring the Mavericks 36-27 to secure the win.

The teams will meet again Saturday in San Antonio.