The Dallas Mavericks started Las Vegas Summer League with an 87-85 win over the Los Angeles Lakers Thursday night. Undrafted rookie Ryan Nembhard led Dallas with 21 points and five assists. Cole Swider scored 22 for LA in defeat. Rookie Cooper Flagg contributed 10 points, six rebounds, four assists, three steals, and a huge block, but also had a rough shooting night from the floor.

Dallas won the tip but Bronny James knocked down two contested jumpers over Flagg to start the game. Nembhard settled the Dallas offense, hitting two jumpers to keep pace with LA. Following a quiet start for Flagg, he brought the crown to it’s feet with a rim rattling dunk following a steal and a contested baseline jumper. These back-to-back possessions gave the Mavericks their first lead of the game. Flagg’s offensive aggressiveness was on display early, with seven shot attempts in the first seven minutes. But that included three made baskets, including an and-one in transition to extend the Dallas lead to three. The teams traded baskets the rest of the quarter, with the Mavericks taking a 19-17 lead after one quarter.

An actual basketball game continued into the second with the Lakers retaking the lead on two made baskets. Dallas answered right back with a run of their own. A made three by Gabe McGlothan gave the Mavericks their largest lead of the game and resulted in a Laker timeout. A Flagg steal and dish in transition extended the lead to seven. Los Angeles responded with a 19-6 run over the second half of the quarter to put the Mavericks on their heels. Flagg went coast-to-coast and scored on a tough finish to close the LA lead to four and Nembhard scored on a soft pull up with four seconds left to close it to two. DJ Steward ended the half with a floating bank shot as time expired. LA led Dallas 47-43 after twenty minutes of basketball.

Dalton Knecht got things going early for the Lakers, scoring two tough baskets. Knecht hit a three to give Los Angeles a double-digit lead for the first time all game. Dallas finally managed to take the lead down to six, and a three from Jordan Hall made it a single-possession game with just over four minutes to play. A Miles Kelly three and Jamarion Sharp’s free throw tied the game at 62 all, and a breakaway layup for Kelly gave the Mavericks their first lead since the second quarter. After being down 60-50 with 6:15 in the third, Dallas closed on an 18-2 run and took a 68-62 lead into the final period.

The two teams traded baskets in the fourth, with Los Angeles rallying back once again. Twos became threes with Dallas and LA exchanging baskets still and Dallas holding onto a two-possession lead. Flagg’s shooting woes continued into the fourth as he couldn’t buy a basket. A Laker three from Cole Swindler put Los Angeles back on top and forced a Maverick timeout with just over three minutes to play. The Lakers held the lead until a massive block of Steward by Flagg led to a Nembhard three at the one-minute mark. Dallas finished the game sloppy with another rough-looking shot from Flagg, but the Mavericks played good enough defense to force a missed shot on the Lakers final possession. Dallas starts Las Vegas Summer League 1-0 with an 87-85 win over Los Angeles.

Mixed bag for Flagg

Flagg’s aforementioned 10 points, six boards, four assists, three steals, and a block looks good. The 5-for-21 from the floor looks bad. But I’ll tell you what, watching this guy play live was pretty remarkable. Dallas let him bring the ball up the floor regularly where he was hounded by Los Angeles pressure. He drew multiple fouls far from the basket simply by being under control and strong with the ball. His decisions as a playmaker were fun to watch and he wasn’t bothered by consistent ball pressure. Defensively he navigated screens well and knew where to be. He’s going to be fun in transition with or without the ball.

It wasn’t all great, given his shooting performance from the floor. The threes looked short and his midrange game was off-kilter all night. He seemed out of position at times for defensive rebounds and he’ll have to work harder than he did tonight on the glass in NBA games.

It was a solid, but not spectacular, debut. I’ll take it.

Wild energy from the crowd

This is a given, considering Flagg was the number one pick. But match that with Lakerland enthusiasm for Bronny James and you have a stew going. The crowds at these events are always fun, full of sicko diehards and you could feel it the entire game. A recommended experience if you can ever get to Vegas.

Ryan Nembhard is stout and effective

A workman-like performance from the rookie on a team that needs someone to run an offense. Dallas looked out of sorts at some points, usually when Nembard wasn’t on the floor. His play directly led to the Dallas victory and while his size may be of concern, he looked strong and like he belonged on the court. He’ll be really fun to watch this weekend and into next week.