In his NBA debut, former Duke star and first overall draft pick Cooper Flagg had a night for the books, earning a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds.
However, beyond the double-digit stats, Flagg had just one steal and earned zeroes in the rest of the columns (other than three turnovers and three personal fouls). At the end of the night, his double-double wasn't enough to push his new team, the Dallas Mavericks, to victory.
Flagg and the Mavs fell to the San Antonio Spurs 125-92 as the rest of the Dallas roster struggled to find defensive consistency.
Dallas Mavericks defensive woes lead to season opener loss
The Mavs committed 16 turnovers against the Spurs, while forcing just 14 turnovers on the other end of the court. While the two teams committed the same number of fouls (24) and Dallas converted a higher percentage of its free throws, the Mavericks simply couldn't slow down the San Antonio offense.
The Spurs shot over 57 percent from the field and played nearly flawless offense as the Mavs were only able to earn five steals and three blocks throughout the game.
Meanwhile, San Antonio was able to earn 10 steals and five blocks, nearly doubling Dallas's stats in both columns.
Yes, Flagg had a relatively good night behind his 10 points and 10 rebounds, but it simply wasn't enough to push the Mavs to a win in their season opener.
Fellow Duke star Derreck Lively II also started the game alongside Flagg, earning four points, three assists, and two rebounds. However, he was also credited with one turnover and five personal fouls. Legendary Duke Blue Devil and future NBA Hall of Famer Kyrie Irving did not check into the game.
Up next, the Mavericks will face the Washington Wizards on Friday, Oct. 24, and the game will tip off at 7:30 p.m. CT.