LAS VEGAS — The Dallas Mavericks suffered a 76-69 loss to the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday afternoon in their second game of the NBA 2K26 Summer League in Las Vegas.

Cooper Flagg led the Mavericks with a game-high 31 points, four rebounds and one assist, while David Jones-Garcia scored 18 points off the bench for the Spurs.

Here are five observations from Saturday’s game:

Flagg bounces back

Flagg candidly described his summer league opener as one of the worst games of his life. That wasn’t the case Saturday as the No. 1 overall pick rebounded with a significant bounce-back effort. Flagg’s explosiveness was on full display. He caught two alley-oops in the second half, showing why he will be a significant lob threat for the Mavericks in transition.

In the waning seconds of the third quarter, Flagg beat Jones-Garcia off the dribble and drove to the basket for a one-handed tomahawk dunk that resulted in a wave of applause of the fans inside Thomas & Mack Center. He finished with four dunks, showing his athleticism whenever the opportunity presented itself.

After missing all five of his attempts from 3-point range on Thursday, Flagg connected on three of his nine attempts from beyond the arc. Flagg was decisive and shot the ball confidently, rarely hesitating on the decision to launch.

Despite the loss, Flagg’s ability to bounce back was an encouraging sign. It remains to be seen whether Flagg will suit up again for the Mavericks, but he gave a glimpse of why he’ll be an integral part of the team’s rotation next season.

“Just trusting all the work,” Flagg said after the game.

Flagg vs. Harper

Saturday’s matinee between the Mavericks and Spurs was a clash between the first and second overall picks.

Flagg was the consensus top pick in last month’s draft, while the Spurs selected Rutgers guard Dylan Harper. Harper made his debut Saturday after missing the Spurs’ first two games of the California Classic, along with Thursday’s game against the Philadelphia 76ers because of a minor groin injury.

Harper finished with 16 points, six rebounds and two assists. He showed off his athleticism on several occasions, including an emphatic one-handed block on Ryan Nembhard in the second quarter. The first-year guard made an acrobatic layup, which was followed by a pull-up 3-pointer by Flagg.

The matchup didn’t draw the same intensity and appeal as Flagg and Bronny James, but it served as a preview of what could be the start of a renewed rivalry between the Mavericks and Spurs.

Flagg can get to the line

Flagg made a concerted effort to attack the paint and get to the free-throw line. He only managed to attempt one free throw on Thursday, but he was more assertive on Saturday. His first points of the game were scored after he drove baseline and completed a layup as he was fouled. He could’ve had a three-point play, but Flagg missed the free throw. He finished 8 of 13 from the stripe and critiqued his five misses after the game.

“I still missed a bunch of free throws and I know my mom probably wasn’t very happy with that, but just trying to get to the free-throw line and get some stuff early.”

Flagg’s ability to get to the stripe will be beneficial for the Mavericks, who attempted the sixth-most free throws in the NBA last season (1,894).

Kelly’s impact

Flagg was one of two Mavericks to reach double figures in Saturday’s game. The other was two-way guard Miles Kelly, who finished with 11 points. He knocked down a pair of triples, following his three 3-pointers from Thursday’s win over the Lakers.

After the game, Kelly was asked about his comfortability with the NBA 3-point line.

“I feel like I’m the most confident individual in this world, so it doesn’t matter if I go 0 for 10 or 5 for 5, I’m shooting like I’m hot.”

Ajinca misses second straight game

Melvin Ajinca, the 51st pick in the 2024 draft, did not suit up for the Mavericks for the second consecutive game due to a groin injury. Ajinca was present for the team’s shootaround on Thursday, but did not play against the Los Angeles Lakers or the Spurs. The Mavericks are not scheduled to practice Sunday, so Ajinca’s next opportunity to play could come as soon as Monday’s game against Charlotte.

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