Cooper Flagg and the Dallas Mavericks crossed swords against the Detroit Pistons with injured Anthony Davis on Saturday. Flagg headlined the Mavericks' starting five, with P.J. Washington, Daniel Gafford, Max Christie and Klay Thompson rounding out the lineup.Flagg and Dallas struggled in Davis' absence as the Pistons dominated inside the paint. The rookie failed to rise to the occasion and delivered an underwhelming performance. As a result, the Mavericks fell to a 122-110 loss on the road.Flagg finished with 16 points on an abysmal 3-of-14 shooting, including 2-of-6 from beyond the arc, and 8-of-8 from the free-throw line. He also recorded eight rebounds, four assists and one steal in 33 minutes. The No. 1 pick committed one turnover and registered a minus-12 rating.Cooper Flagg Highlights vs. Detroit Pistons (Nov. 1)The former Duke phenom struggled with his rhythm early, bricking his first three field-goal attempts. The 6-foot-9 forward finally opened his account in the points column by knocking down his first 3-point attempt of the night.Flagg remained aggressive in the second quarter, even though his shots didn't fall at an ideal efficiency. The Mavericks rookie relentlessly attacked the paint, earning fouls through sheer determination while making his presence felt across multiple facets of the game. He was active on the boards and hustled tirelessly on the defensive end.At halftime, Cooper Flagg had 10 points, five rebounds and one steal in 16 minutes. He shot 2-of-8, including 2-of-4 from deep, and 4-of-4 from the free-throw line.Cooper Flagg's shooting woes continued after halftime. He took four more shots in the third quarter and made just one. The rookie scored just two points in the penultimate period but continued to impact the game in other areas.The fourth quarter was no different for Flagg, who failed to make a single shot in the period. His shooting struggles only compounded the Mavericks’ troubles as the team slipped to a 2-4 record following yet another defeat.