Instant Reactions: Cavs’ Evan Mobley ruins Cooper Flagg’s bounce-back game

Cooper Flagg has struggled since returning from a left midfoot sprain, but the rookie showed flashes against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The Dallas Mavericks forward slammed down a tomahawk dunk that sent the American Airlines Center crowd into a roar. Flagg followed with a pull-up jumper from beyond the arc that also fell.

His playmaking was just as notable. Flagg finished with 25 points, five assists and four rebounds.

But his efforts were overshadowed by Cavaliers center Evan Mobley, whose 29 points helped Cleveland defeat Dallas 138-105 on Friday night.

Flagg passed Kobe Bryant for the sixth-most 20-point games by a teenager in NBA history with his strong performance.

The Mavs were coming off of a win against Blank. But, James Harden’s 27 points, seven assists and seven rebounds helped end the Mavs short taste of victory. He was aided by Donovan Mitchell, who had 24 points.

It marked the first game since Flagg’s return in which he started alongside a true point guard. Ryan Nembhard, whom the Mavericks signed to a two-year extension in February, got the nod and finished with eight points and nine assists.

In the second quarter, Nembhard and Flagg ran a pick-and-roll that created a mismatch for the rookie forward. Flagg initially passed up the opportunity, but Nembhard quickly returned the ball to him, yelling for Flagg to take the shot from the top of the 3-point line.

The jumper missed, but Nembhard’s confidence in his teammate was clear. It was his first start since signing a standard contract with Dallas.

Entering the game, Nembhard averaged 9.9 points, 6.1 assists and 2.3 rebounds in 17 games as a starter for Dallas.

The Mavericks will travel to Cleveland to face the Cavaliers on Sunday.