DALLAS — The Dallas Mavericks were attempting a last-gasp comeback Thursday at home against the Philadelphia 76ers when Cooper Flagg scooped up a loose ball and threw a bounce pass ahead to Brandon Williams.

Williams appeared to have an open lane to a transition basket. But 76ers guard V.J. Edgecombe elevated to contest the shot.

Edgecombe blocked Williams’ attempt with his left hand and then batted it out of bounds with his right.

It was a display of exceptional athleticism from the 76ers’ 20-year-old rookie who scored 23 points to lead Philadelphia past Dallas 123-108 at American Airlines Center.

VJ EDGECOMBE SAID: “NO!” 🚫 pic.twitter.com/Pvh0fTbi6U

— NBA (@NBA) January 2, 2026

“I got a lot of love for V.J.,” said Flagg, whose Mavericks lost their fourth consecutive game. “We have competed at a really high level against each other for three years now. It’s a lot of love and respect there. He’s a competitor and winner at the highest level. I have a lot of respect for V.J. and what he’s been able to do this year.”

The Mavericks chose Flagg with the No. 1 overall pick in June. The 76ers snapped Edgecombe up two selections later at No. 3. Paired alongside Tyrese Maxey in the backcourt, Edgecombe has been instrumental in the 76ers’ turnaround. Philadelphia, which finished 34 games under .500 a year ago, is 18-14 after Thursday’s win and has hopes of hosting a first-round playoff series this spring.

The Mavericks, meanwhile, look like they are headed back to the lottery. They have lost six of their last seven contests. Only two Western Conference teams have more losses than Dallas: the Sacramento Kings and the New Orleans Pelicans, two notoriously dysfunctional franchises.

“I think we just have to stay together,” Flagg said. “Come together. And buy into our principles and get back to playing both sides of the ball at a really high level, and we’ll be OK.”

Flagg is in the midst of one of the most productive seasons a teenager has ever had in the NBA. But in Dallas’ last two games, the Rookie of the Year hopeful has submitted two inefficient shooting performances. He scored 15 points on 6-of-20 shooting in Monday’s loss to the Portland Trail Blazers. On Thursday, he finished with 12 points on 5-of-15 shooting.

“I think he’s playing extremely well,” Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said. “He’s probably a little tired. He’s played a lot of minutes. This is the most minutes he’s played in his career. … I thought he found open teammates tonight. We just didn’t knock the (shots) down.”

Flagg came into Thursday’s game ranked fifth in the NBA in total minutes. The Mavericks expressed optimism during training camp in September that with all the veteran talent on their roster, Flagg might not have to carry such a heavy workload. But Anthony Davis got hurt in the team’s fifth game of the season, suffering a left calf strain that sidelined him for 14 consecutive games.