Cooper Flagg and Dylan Harper squared off for the first time as NBA players on Saturday, and the matchup delivered on its billing. The top two picks in the 2025 NBA Draft shared the floor in front of a sold-out crowd at the Thomas & Mack Center, giving fans a glimpse of what may become one of the league’s next great rivalries.
Harper’s Spurs came away with the 76-69 win, but both players had moments that showed why they were selected at the top of the draft. Flagg finished with a game-high 31 points for the Dallas Mavericks. Despite playing on a minutes restriction, Harper added 16 points, six rebounds, two assists, two steals, and a block in just 20 minutes in his first Summer League action.
“Not a better time to come back [than] in a game like this and a crowd as electrifying as this,” Harper said. “He had a good game. I had a good game. We kind of just showed the NBA world what we’re about.”
Electric Setting, Measured Start
The buzz in the building was apparent before tipoff. The matchup brought out NBA veterans, executives, and celebrities, ranging from Jason Sudeikis, Cedric the Entertainer, Allen Iverson, Victor Wembanyama, and even fellow rookie Ace Bailey—all seated court-side.
Harper, making his debut after missing the Spurs’ first two Summer League games with a minor groin injury, opened the scoring 45 seconds into the game with a drive to the basket.
Both Flagg and Harper started slowly. Each shot 1 of 4 in the opening quarter, as San Antonio took a 21-11 lead. But one moment signaled what the crowd came to see: with 4.1 seconds left in the first quarter, the two matched up one-on-one. Harper stepped into a 24-foot step-back three over Flagg. The shot missed, but the crowd rose to its feet.
Flagg Finds a Rhythm, Harper Delivers Highlights
Cooper Flagg, who shot just 5 of 21 in his Summer League debut, was far more efficient in his second outing. The No. 1 overall pick shot 10 of 21 from the field and went 8 of 13 from the free-throw line, despite facing physical defense from Spurs rookie Carter Bryant.
“I think it’s a new environment, new setting,” Flagg said. “They want to see me be aggressive and do that type of stuff. I think I did that a lot better today, just getting to the line, getting fouled, and that helped me to get comfortable and get settled in early. Still missed a bunch of free throws. I know my mom probably wasn’t very happy with that.”
Flagg scored in a variety of ways — including a fast-break dunk, floaters, and hard drives to the basket — and also registered four rebounds, one block and one assist. His most impressive stretch came late in the third quarter. After converting a driving layup through full-court pressure to cut the lead to 10, Flagg threw down a one-handed dunk over Riley Minix and then raced back to block Minix’s halfcourt heave at the buzzer.
“He just continues to make the right plays,” Mavericks summer league coach Josh Broghamer said. “Whether it’s a drive by the guy pressuring him or we were using him a little bit more as a roller and off the ball a couple of times just to get him some easier catches so he wasn’t working so hard to bring the ball up the floor, he just continues to make the right plays, which is always great to see.”
Harper made the most of his limited minutes. The 6-foot-5 guard’s energy and athleticism were felt immediately. Late in the second quarter, he soared in from the weak side to block Ryan Nembhard’s layup attempt, sending his Spurs teammates into a frenzy courtside. Seconds later, Harper scored an and-1 floater over Flagg, giving San Antonio a 33-32 halftime lead.
“[Harper] was great, and you felt his impact,” Spurs summer league coach Mike Noyes said. “The stints were a little bit short he would say. He hasn’t played a game in a long time. So, we tried to manage that properly. When he was out there, he was playing hard, making the right play.”
A Glimpse at a Budding NBA Rivalry
While Flagg had the scoring edge, Harper’s all-around contributions and the win gave San Antonio the early edge in what could become a long-running battle between two rising stars.
“We’re going to play them a lot this year,” Harper said. “The future battles are going to be great. One thing that we’ve both got — we’re just competitors. We’re going to go out and compete.”
Flagg, meanwhile, continued to show growth in a new lead ballhandling role for Dallas. Through two games, he has committed just three total turnovers while bringing the ball up against full-court pressure on nearly every possession.
“I’m exhausted,” Flagg said. “I’m not used to bringing the ball up like that — bringing it up full court and having somebody on my hip for 94 feet. But I thought I did a solid job of bringing it up against pressure.”
Broghamer noted Flagg’s efficiency, even amid fatigue, praising him for limiting his turnovers despite a setting that allows defenders to foul up to 10 times per game before fouling out. The circumstances serve as an opportunity for Flagg to get accustomed to more aggressive ball pressure than he’ll draw during actual NBA competition while he handles point guard duties.
“Three turnovers in two games — I can’t commend him enough on that,” Broghamer said. “It’s not easy when guys are all over you every trip down the floor.”
What’s Next?
The Spurs improved to 2-0 in Summer League play and will face the Utah Jazz on Monday. The Mavericks dropped to 1-1 and will take on the Charlotte Hornets in their next game. It remains to be seen how much more Flagg or Harper will play in Summer League, but regardless, they each displayed why they are as good as advertised at Thomas & Mack Center.
Though it’s still early in both players’ careers, Saturday’s game hinted at a matchup that could define the next generation of NBA basketball. And from their first clash, it’s clear they both want the challenge.
