Mavericks' Cooper Flagg Addresses VJ Edgecombe Rivalry

Flagg struggled with his shot on Thursday, finishing with 12 points on 5-of-15 overall and 0-of-2 from beyond the arc. The 19-year-old, however, was able to log seven rebounds, seven assists and one steal in 37 minutes of action.

Edgecombe, on the other hand, dropped 23 points on 9-of-14 from the field, to go along with five rebounds, two assists, four steals, a highlight-reel block and three triples in 40 minutes of play.

After the game, Flagg was asked about his matchup against the Sixers rookie. When questioned about a potential rivalry between them, Flagg was quick to play it down.

"I mean, I wouldn't say it's a rivalry," Flagg said. "I think obviously, everybody knows with the awards and everything, you're always playing against each other. And you're put against those guys that are in your class for the rookie stuff.

"But I got a lot of love for VJ. We've competed at a really high level against each other for three years now. So it's just, it's a lot of love and respect there. He's a competitor and a winner at the highest level. And that always shines through. So I got a lot of respect for VJ and what he's been up to this year."

As Flagg indicated, he and Edgecombe have been pitted against each other for years now, and this will very likely be the case for these two rising stars for the foreseeable future. If Thursday’s duel was any indication of what’s to come, then fans can expect a ton of quality basketball from these two for the next decade or so.

The Mavs dropped to 12-23 after Thursday’s defeat, while the Sixers improved to 18-14.