Flagg also nailed a turnaround jumper and posted up Bronny James in an eventful opening quarter vs. the Lakers.
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Mavs rookie the center of attention
LAS VEGAS — The Cooper Flagg era unofficially began Thursday night when the Dallas Mavericks opened the Las Vegas Summer League with an 87-85 win over the Los Angeles Lakers.
Here are five observations from Flagg’s debut in Thursday’s win over the Lakers:
Center of attention: Flagg vs. James
Thomas & Mack Center drew a nearly full arena that was full of people waiting to see Flagg match up with Lakers sophomore guard Bronny James.
It was apparent from the moment the jump ball went in favor of the Mavericks that the anticipation was already pent up among both teams. Flagg received the ball and the Lakers sent two defenders to double-team him immediately, almost as if they knew the Mavericks’ first play of the game.
Flagg drew attention early, but James had a quick start that resulted in the first five points for the Lakers. James drilled a smooth step-back from the midrange over Flagg to open scoring for both teams. He followed that up with a triple as Flagg went under a screen. James finished with eight points, two rebounds and two assists on 2-of-8 shooting from the field.
The two headliners guarded each other several times throughout the game. Flagg posted James up on three consecutive possessions in the second quarter, sparking oohs and aahs from the crowd. James managed to cleanly poke the ball away from Flagg on the second post-up attempt, but a foul was called and the fans inside the arena antagonized by the moment jeered. Flagg was successful on the third, as he drilled a midrange shot over LeBron James’ eldest son.
James had a chance to win the game in the fourth quarter, but missed a hesitation 3-pointer as the final buzzer expired.
Flagg finished with 10 points, six rebounds, four assists and three steals in 31 minutes of action.
Flagg’s second wind
Flagg went to the bench after the first timeout of the game to catch a quick breather after missing his first two shots. His brightest moment of the game occurred a minute later as he made several high-impact plays upon checking back into the game.
The Mavericks rookie came up with a steal and took the ball the length of the court while outrunning two Lakers defenders before throwing down a one-handed dunk. He followed that up with a midrange shot he knocked down as he fell to the floor.
Flagg managed to show why he was the consensus top pick by showing his versatile skill set. He defended well and managed to get over screens. He served as a viable playmaker. He rebounded. However, he didn’t shoot the ball well, finishing just 5-of-21 from the field.
It’s natural that Flagg could be rusty, considering it was his first official game since Duke was eliminated from the Final Four in March. That wasn’t an excuse for Flagg, who reflected on his performance after the game.
“I tried to be aggressive,” Flagg said. “That’s new for me. Honestly, that might be one of the worst games of my life, but we got the win so that’s what really matters to me.”
Point Flagg
After weeks of anticipation of what Flagg would look like in a point guard role, the basketball world received a glimpse of Mavericks coach Jason Kidd’s vision.
Flagg brought the ball up the court several times and managed to be successful with his handle, even when Lakers defenders tried to be physical. He was often picked up full court, but used his body to shield himself from defenders looking to steal the ball.
Late in the fourth quarter, Flagg drove into the paint, spun as if he was going to rise for a midrange shot and swung the ball to Maxwell Lewis in the corner for a clean 3-pointer. It was only his third assist, but an example of his high IQ on display.
Flagg is just 18 years old, but he showed poise initiating the offense and made smart passes, especially in transition. He had only one turnover, an impressive feat considering how much he had the ball in his hands. In fact, the Mavericks only turned the ball over nine times — an acceptable number after practicing only twice this week leading up to the opener.
“I was looking forward to it,” Flagg said. “Obviously being able to split some reps with Ryan [Nembhard] and share that with him. It was fun. It’s new for me bringing it up, having that full court pressure. I’m not in full game shape so I was tired … It was fun to experiment with some new things.”
It’s unclear how much point guard we’ll see Flagg run during the regular season, but he’ll be an option to use if Kidd wishes to.
Mavericks’ two-ways
Flagg wasn’t the only player who made an impression in Thursday’s game. Mavericks two-way guard Ryan Nembhard, who’s known as a playmaker, led the team in scoring with 21 points and five assists. Two-way guard Miles Kelly added 17 points, four rebounds and two assists.
Both players started alongside Flagg, Jamarion Sharp and Maxwell Lewis.
Nembhard gave the Mavericks a two-point lead with 59.1 seconds left after drilling a triple, assisted by Flagg. He knocked down several timely jumpers throughout the game and didn’t allow his 6-foot frame to hinder him from getting to his spots.
Blanket of support
There were several notable faces sitting courtside to take in the Mavericks’ summer league opener. Mavs Governor Patrick Dumont sat across from the Dallas bench. He was joined by a bevy of key members from the varsity group, including Kyrie Irving, P.J. Washington, Max Christie, Naji Marshall, Jaden Hardy and Olivier-Maxence Prosper.
That group of Mavericks rose to their feet early in the second quarter when Flagg drilled a fadeaway shot from the baseline over the outstretched hands of James. Flagg showed his fiery spirit and appeared to yell toward his new teammates, celebrating the successful moment of competition against James.
“I definitely heard them. It was cool seeing them there and showing up in support of us,” Flagg said. “I didn’t really say anything. I just kind of looked at them. They were kind of saying stuff a couple of plays before. That was just a funny moment.”
Members of the front office and coaching staff were also present, including assistant general managers Michael Finley and Matt Riccardi, along with head coach Jason Kidd and new lead assistant coach Frank Vogel, plus other support staff. Minority shareholder Mark Cuban was also in attendance. General manager Nico Harrison was noticeably absent, but there was more than enough support from the franchise for the team’s first game in Las Vegas.
Highlights from Cooper Flagg’s summer league debut with the Mavericks 🎥💥🏀
Final line for the Mavs rookie:
10 points
6 rebounds
4 assists
3 steals
1 block
5-21 shooting(Via @NBA | #MFFL)pic.twitter.com/GQNDSG5T5Y
— SportsDay Mavs (@dmn_mavericks) July 11, 2025
X/Twitter: @MikeACurtis2
Find more Mavericks coverage from The Dallas Morning News here.
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Rubio meets China’s foreign minister as US-Chinese tensions mount
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio wrapped up his second and final day at a Southeast Asian security conference in a high-stakes meeting with his Chinese counterpart as tensions grow between Washington and Beijing over issues from trade to security and China’s support for Russia’s war in Ukraine.
After discussions with regional countries at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations forum in Malaysia, Rubio on Friday ended his first official trip to Asia with his first face-to-face talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.
Neither man nor the delegations spoke to journalists as they posed for photos at the top of the meeting.
The meeting was held less than 24 hours after Rubio met in Kuala Lumpur with another rival, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, during which they discussed potential new avenues to jumpstart Ukraine peace talks.
The meetings come against a backdrop of global and regional unease over U.S. policies, notably on trade and large tariffs that U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened to impose on friend and foe alike.
While Rubio heard complaints about the tariffs from his Southeast Asian counterparts, he told reporters Thursday that many of them focused their discussion on security issues, their concerns about Chinese domination and desire for cooperation with the U.S.
“Of course, it’s raised. It’s an issue,” Rubio said. “But I wouldn’t say it solely defines our relationship with many of these countries. There are a lot of other issues that we work together on, and I think there was great enthusiasm that we were here and that we’re a part of this.”
However, Trump sees China as the biggest threat to the United States in multiple fields, not least technology and trade, and like previous U.S. presidents has watched the country greatly expand its influence globally while turning increasingly assertive in the Indo-Pacific, notably toward its small neighbors over the South China Sea and Taiwan.
Trump has warned of massive tariffs that he could impose on Chinese exports to the United States and preliminary discussions between the two sides have yet to produce significant progress.
Since former President Joe Biden was in office, the U.S. has also accused China of assisting Russia in rebuilding its military industrial sector to help it execute its war against Ukraine. Rubio said the Trump administration shares that view.
“I think the Chinese clearly have been supportive of the Russian effort, and I think that generally they’ve been willing to help them as much as they can without getting caught,” Rubio said Thursday, suggesting the topic would be discussed if he and Wang met.
Rubio and Wang have been shadowboxing during the two-day ASEAN meeting, with each touting the benefits of their partnership to Southeast Asian nations.
Rubio has played up cooperation, including signing a civil-nuclear cooperation agreement with Malaysia, while Wang has railed against Trump’s threatened tariffs and projected China as a stable counterweight in talks with Southeast Asian counterparts on the sidelines.
“The U.S. is abusing tariffs, wrecking the free trade system and disrupting the stability of the global supply chain,” Wang told his Thai counterpart Maris Sangiampongsa, according the Chinese foreign ministry.
In a meeting with Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Prak Sokhonn, Wang said that the tariffs are “an attempt to deprive all parties of their legitimate right to development.”
“In the face of turbulent global situation, China is willing to be Cambodia’s trustworthy and reliable friend and partner,” he added.
On Thursday, Wang and Lavrov met and delivered a subtle but unmistakable warning to the United States over Southeast Asia.
“Russia and China both support ASEAN’s central role in regional cooperation, are committed to maintaining peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region, and are wary of certain major powers creating divisions and instigating confrontation in the region,” they said, according to Russia’s foreign ministry.
But Rubio found support from Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, who said Friday that continued U.S. engagement was crucial for regional stability.
“We want to see a region where no one country dominates and no country is dominated,” Wong told reporters when asked about China’s rising might in the region. “We want to see a region where there is a balance of power… where there is no coercion or duress.”
At the same time, Wong said Australia is committed to maintaining a stable relationship with China, noting that engagement remains the best path forward.
___
Associated Press writers Huizhong Wu in Bangkok and Eileen Ng in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, contributed to this report.
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Prime Day Ends Tonight — 167+ Best Deals Actually Worth Shopping
Prime Day officially ends tonight… seriously. Prime members officially have less than 24 hours to take advantage of exclusive discounts across tech, beauty, home essentials, kitchen and more. And even if you’ve already bought a few things, it’s worth scrolling Amazon’s discounts one final time — the retailer just added brand-new discounts, including fresh Lightning Deals.
A word of wisdom from someone who’s been covering Prime Day for six years: once you add a few last items to your cart today, check out ASAP. More people tend to shop on the last day of a sale, which makes products more likely to sell out. You don’t want to miss out on a deal before prices jump back up tomorrow, so don’t dilly-dally.
Up until the clock strikes midnight, I’ll update this list live with all the discounts worth knowing about. Since not every deal is necessarily good, I only recommend those below that are at least 20% off, highly rated and at their lowest price in at least three months.
Want more from NBC Select? Sign up for our newsletter, The Selection, and shop smarter.
Best Prime Day deals 2025
Stocking up on essentials during Prime Day is one of the best ways to save long-term. These dishwasher detergent pods, which you constantly need to buy more of, are made with Dawn soap to remove grease and other ingredients to break down dried food and residue. You don’t need to pre-rinse your dishes since this detergent is so powerful, according to the brand. There’s 71 pods in a pack.
These are our all-time favorite wireless earbuds for listening to music, taking calls and exercising. You can use them in active noise cancellation to completely block out sounds, transparency mode to hear the world around you or adaptive audio, which automatically swaps between the two depending on your environment. The headphones, which come with four pairs of silicone tips to customize your fit, are water-resistant, according to the brand.
LifeStraw’s personal filter can remove over 99% of bacteria, parasites and microplastics from water, making it ideal to bring with you while camping or hiking, or pack in an emergency kit. The tool can filter up to 1,000 gallons of water before you need to replace it. It has a cap to protect the part you sip from, and a layard so you can put it around your neck.
It’s always a good idea to have extra batteries at home, especially to put in your emergency kit and power kids toys, remotes and flashlights. This pack comes with 32 AA alkaline batteries, which last up to 10 years if they’re unused, according to the brand.
You’ll eventually need more garbage bags, so you might as well buy them on sale. This box comes with 110 13-gallon trash bags, which have two layers for added leak protection and a Febreeze scent.
Out of all the teeth whitening strips we’ve tested, these are our favorite because they’re easy to use and highly effective. Strips are coated in a layer of hydrogen peroxide to remove stains, and they’re flexible, so they mold to the shape of your mouth. There’s 44 strips in the box, which is enough for 22 treatments — 20 are 45-minute standard treatments, and two are 60-minute express treatments.
As someone who doesn’t have a dishwasher, I’m very picky about dish soap, and Dawn’s Platinum Powerwash Spray is my all-time favorite option. The sprayer helps me cover a lot of dishes with soap at once, and it comes out foamy, so I don’t need to turn the faucet on until it’s time to rinse.
Once you plug devices like fans, air purifiers and small kitchen appliances into this smart plug, you can control them via the Amazon Alexa app or voice commands. The plug is compact, so it won’t block your second outlet. Using the app, you can set up schedules, timers and routines for your devices.
If it weren’t for these little trackers, I’d lose everything I own. I keep them in my wallet and bag, attach one to my keys and always put one in my suitcases while traveling. The AirTags pair with the Find My app on iPhones and iPads, which shows you where they are and gives you directions to locate them. You can also make trackers play a sound through the app, and share them each with up to five people if needed so everyone can track items.
“I’ve been using ColorWow’s Dreamcoat Spray for over two years and I don’t remember what it was like to blow dry my hair without it,” says associate commerce social editor Caitlin Cusack. “I have super frizzy hair and this product makes a noticeable difference in frizz and leaves my hair feeling soft for days between washes.” The brand recommends reapplying it every three to four shampoos, and there’s also a version for curly hair that I swear by.
Once you plug this Fire Stick into your TV’s HDMI port, you can enjoy your favorite shows, movies and music via streaming services or cable. It comes with an Alexa Voice Remote, and you can bring the device with you on trips to use in hotels or rental homes.
See, hear and speak to visitors with Blink’s Video Doorbell. It runs on AA batteries, has a two-year battery life and doesn’t require wiring, according to the brand. The camera gives you a head-to-toe view when you livestream footage through the Blink app, which also sends you real-time notifications when it detects people at your door.
You’ll wake up with smooth, moisturized lips when you leave this mask on overnight, says NBC Select updates editor Mili Godio. “I use Laneige’s lip mask on days when my lips are super dry and it makes my nighttime routine so much more luxurious,” she says. “My lips feel so soft after I apply it, and I love using the little included spatula.” The lip mask is made with hydrating ingredients like vitamin C, murumuru seed and shea butters, antioxidants and coconut oil.
Bring these protein shakes to work or school, or keep them in the refrigerator at home to drink after a workout or when you need a quick snack. They have a smooth, creamy texture and 30 grams of protein per bottle; they’re shelf-stable until you open them. The shakes come in packs of 12 and are available in flavors like chocolate, vanilla, cafê latte and caramel.
Each laundry detergent pod in this 76-pack is filled with soap that has a built-in color protector, odor fighter and stain remover. The pods are HE-compatible and dissolves even in cold water.
I’m tossing my decade-old, stained, ripped oven mitts and buying this pair from KitchenAid. They’re covered in soft, ribbed silicone that’s grippy, heat-resistant up to 500 degrees Fahrenheit and water-resistant, according to the brand. The oven mitts also have a cotton cuff that feels soft against your skin.
This travel adapter is compatible with plugs in over 200 countries, according to the brand. It has AC, USB-A and USB-C ports so you can charge five devices simultaneously, and its pins are foldable and retractable, making it compact.
I use this kitchen gadget to make fresh popcorn at home or the office. There’s a built-in cup on its lid to help you measure kernels, and you can also put butter inside so it melts over your snack. The glass, dishwasher-safe popper also doubles as a bowl once you remove the lid and let it cool down.
This is one of my favorite water bottles — I actually like it better than Stanley’s popular Quencher because it doesn’t leak and is more convenient to travel with. It has a 30-ounce capacity, a flip-up straw, a large handle and a tapered bottom so it fits in most cup holders. The dishwasher-safe water bottle is made from stainless steel and has double-wall vacuum insulation — it can keep your beverages chilled for up to 12 hours, according to the brand.
La Roche-Posay’s fragrance-free moisturizer is a top-pick among those on our team with dry skin, myself included. It’s made with hydrating ingredients like ceramides, niacinamide and thermal water, and has a lightweight texture. It sits nicely under makeup, so I typically apply it in the morning, but you can wear it at night, too.
You get three boxes of 10 mini granola bars with this pack, and they come in three flavors: caramel almond and sea salt, dark chocolate nuts and sea salt, and peanut butter dark chocolate. Each gluten-free, low-sugar bar has three grams of protein.
Vital Proteins’ collagen peptide powder, which I’ve used for years, helps support hair, skin, nail, bone and joint health, according to the brand. One serving has 20 grams of collagen peptides, as well as vitamin C and hyaluronic acid. The unflavored powder seamlessly blends into hot or cold liquids once you scoop it in. (Remember to consult your doctor before taking anything.)
The snail secretion filtrate in this essence, one of our favorite K-beauty products, can help soothe damaged skin, repair dark spots, reduce the appearance of fine lines and moisturize, according to the brand. It has a lightweight feel and quickly absorbs into the skin.
Our team tested 100 face sunscreens this year and Round Lab’s came out as our number 1 winner. “This sunscreen feels like a moisturizer and leaves my skin hydrated,” says NBC Select editorial projects manager Rebecca Rodriguez. “It blends in seamlessly and doesn’t leave behind that sticky sunscreen feeling.” The broad-spectrum SPF is oil-free, making it suitable for acne-prone skin, too.
I always keep Liquid I.V. electrolyte powder at home to drink before a long run. The pre-measured, single-serve packets make it easy to add to my water, and after I give it a stir, the powder blends right in. Each serving has 500 grams of sodium. You can buy Liquid I.V. in numerous flavors like arctic raspberry, strawberry lemonade and orange vanilla dream, plus there’s sugar-free options.
The Little Green Machine helps you get stains out of upholstered furniture, carpets, area rugs, car seats and more. It has two 48-ounce tanks to separate cleaning solution from dirty liquid, and the head on the end of its long hose lets you spray cleaner on messes, scrub and suction them. You get a bottle of Bissell’s Oxy Formula with your purchase, as well as a tough stain tool, self-cleaning hose tool and spraying crevice tool.
Mielle’s hair oil targets thinning hair and dry scalps with biotin and essential oils like rosemary, mint, tea tree and peppermint oil. The ingredients work to strengthen your strands, improve circulation and nourish skin to reduce flaking, according to the brand. The oil is suitable for all hair types and textures, and you use it pre-wash, post-wash or as a 10-minute treatment with a shower cap.
This organizer comes with three bins to separate different items. The handle allows you to remove each bin from the turntable base. The bottom has non-slip feet to keep the Crazy Susan sturdy while you rotate it.
I use a pair of these under-eye masks almost every day to depuff and refresh my skin. They’re soaked in a serum made with hydrating ingredients like hyaluronic acid, niacinamide and glycerin, and made from a gel-like material that has a cooling effect. There’s 24 pairs of individually-wrapped patches in each pack.
This kit comes with everything you need to collect a saliva swab and send it to Ancestry’s lab. Then, six to eight weeks later, you’ll get your results online, which includes information about your origins across the world, ethnicity estimate and genetic traits you may have a propensity for.
I’ve been a loyal Orgain customer for years and its protein powder is the only one I’ll buy. There’s 21 grams in each serving, and less than one gram of sugar, plus it blends into my smoothies almost instantly, making them extra creamy. The powder is also gluten-free and vegan.
This mini Bluetooth speaker connects to music, audiobook and podcast platforms, letting you play entertainment throughout your home. It also has Amazon Alexa built-in — you can ask the personal assistant to set alarms and timers for you, check the weather, give you traffic updates, control compatible smart home devices and more. I have an Echo Pop in my bedroom, and since it’s so small, I easily hid it on my dresser.
This corded vacuum can clean dirt, pet hair and other messes on all floors in your home. It has a detachable pod and long nozzle, letting you clean hard-to-reach areas like above door frames, on stairs and under furniture. The vacuum is built with a HEPA filter to trap allergens like dust and pollen, and it comes with crevice and upholstery tools.
Reuse these absorbent, dishwasher-safe clothes up to 100 times to clean your home, dry dishes and more, making them an eco-friendly alternative to paper towels. They come in a pack of 10 and are safe for all surfaces, according to the brand.
You can massage Sol De Janiero’s highly rated body cream onto your butt, legs, arms and stomach area to moisturize and tighten skin, according to the brand. The viral scented formula has notes of salted caramel, pistachio and vanilla, and once you run out, you can refill the container instead of throwing it out.
This rechargeable device diffuses mosquito repellent to keep bugs away, creating a 20-foot protection zone around you in about 15 minutes, according to the brand. It works for about nine hours on a full battery. This pack comes with a repeller and one refill — you can buy additional refills separately.
This rechargeable electric toothbrush has all of the features dentists told us to look for while shopping: a pressure sensor, a two-minute timer and brush head change alert. You can also choose from three cleaning modes. The toothbrush comes with a travel case and two extra brush heads.
“The Kindle really is impossible to live without once you try it,” says NBC Select editor Lindsay Schneider, who’s used a number of models over the years, courtesy testing samples from Amazon. “It makes it a whole lot easier to read on the go and outside. The battery is quite impressive too. I feel like I never have to charge it.”
The Kindle Paperwhite gives you 12 weeks of battery life on a single charge, according to the brand, and it’s thin and lightweight, making it easy to travel with. It also has a 7-inch glare-free screen and an adjustable warm light so you can clearly see text in any environment. The e-reader is water-resistant, too — you can use it at the beach, by the pool or in the bath without worrying about splashes.
“This shower oil completely soothes my skin and gives me that silky soft effect,” says Schneider. “It lathers really nicely and never feels oily despite its initial consistency. The formula, while scented, is quite subtle.” You can use the shower oil as a body wash or to prep your skin before shaving, plus it doubles as a soak when you pour it into warm bath water.
Thanks to its internal organization system, my Samsonite luggage holds an impressive amount of clothes, and it never breaks down despite how much I beat it up during my travels. This set comes with a hard-sided carry-on and a medium checked bag. Both suitcases have built-in TSA locks, expandable storage, 360-degree spinner wheels, and adjustable handles.
Track workouts, daily activity, sleep, health metrics like heart rate and more with this smartwatch. It’s water-resistant, so you can swim with it, and it connects to your phone, letting you answer calls and texts. The watch’s battery lasts for about 18 hours when it’s fully charged, and 30 minutes in the included charger gives you about 80% battery, according to Apple.
These food storage containers come in a pack of five, and each has a 2.85-cup capacity with two compartments. They’re made from a clear stain- and odor-resistant material, so you can always see what’s inside. The containers’ lids have an airtight seal and secure latches, and if you flip the latches up, they act as vents — that means you can keep the lid on while microwaving to avoid splatters.
Keurig makes some of our favorite coffee makers, and this one is compact, so it won’t take up much room on your counter. You can brew 8-, 10- or 12-ounces of coffee at a time and remove the 48-ounce water reservoir to refill it.
The Dyson Airwrap simultaneously dries and styles your hair, letting you create curly, wavy and straight styles without causing heat damage, according to Dyson. It comes with three interchangeable attachments: a smoothing dryer, round volumizing brush and long barrel. The Airwrap also has a cool shot button.
The camera built into this bird feeder livestreams video to an app so you can watch critters visit for a snack. The water-resistant feeder has a 1.5-liter container you fill with feed, and there’s a wide perch on the front you can add accessories to as you learn what the birds in your area like. The app stores videos for up to 30 days so you can download and share them.
Best Prime Day Lightning Deals
These limited-time deals are live until stock runs out, so make sure you checkout before they’re gone.
- 40% off Waterpik Cordless Water Flosser
- 30% off Sol de Janeiro Hair & Body perfume
- 60% off Blink Outdoor 4
- 25% off Nippies Nipple Covers for Women
- 30% off the Away Large Trunk Luggage
- 50% off Philips Sonicare Toothbrush
- 44% off Advanced Clinicals Retinol Lotion
- 20% off H&M gift cards
- 33% off Coway Airmega AP-1512HH(W) True HEPA Air Purifier
Best overall Prime Day sales
Here are the best Prime Day sales to know about. Keep in mind, not every item from a brand is discounted as described below.
- Up to 51% off Apple and Beats tech
- 40% off Lego roses
- Up to 46% off Dyson vacuums, air purifiers and hair tools
- Up to 50% off Premier Protein shakes and protein powders
- Up to 50% off Away luggage and travel accessories
- Up to 40% off Elemis skin care
- Up to 44% off Poppi Prebiotic Soda
- Up to 50% off Samsonite luggage
- Up to 25% off Liquid Death water, teas and more
- Up to 40% off Tushy bidets, toilet seats and more
- 36% off Philips Sonicare ProtectiveClean 5300 Rechargeable Electric Toothbrush
- Up to 33% off Huggies diapers and baby accessories
Best household essentials sales
- Up to 34% off Dawn dish soaps and sprays
- Up to 35% off Duracell batteries
- Up to 34% off laundry detergent and supplies from Tide, Dreft, Gain and more
- Up to 22% off Cottonelle toilet paper and wipes
- Up to 33% off Seventh Generation cleaning supplies
- Up to 48% off Mrs. Meyer’s soap, laundry detergents, candles and more
- Up to 37% off Swiffer cleaning supplies
Best Prime Day skin care sales
- Up to 30% off Laneige skin care
- Up to 30% off Tatcha skin care
- Up to 50% off First Aid Beauty skin care
- Up to 50% off Grace & Stella skin care
- Up to 20% off EltaMD sunscreen
- Up to 36% off Opalescence Go teeth whitening products
- Up to 20% off Supergoop! sunscreens
- Up to 20% off Clean Skin Club towels
- Up to 25% off La Roche-Posay skin care
- Up to 40% off Dove soaps, scrubs and more
- Up to 40% off Vacation sunscreen
- Up to 20% off Hero Cosmetics’ pimple patches
Best Prime Day apparel, footwear and accessory sales
- Up to 68% off Levi’s apparel
- Up to 60% off Vera Bradley bags and backpacks
- Up to 20% off Bogg Bags
- Up to 29% off Crz Yoga activewear for men, women and children
- Up to 29% off Brooks sneakers and running apparel
- Up to 25% off BedHead pajamas
- Up to 43% off Rothy’s shoes
- Up to 66% off Adidas athletic apparel, shoes and accessories
- Up to 45% off Ray-Ban sunglasses
- Up to 72% off Ryka footwear
- Up to 53% off Hey Dude footwear
Best Prime Day tech sales
- Up to 55% off Ring doorbells, cameras and alarms
- Up to 65% off Blink smart home tech
- Up to 43% off Bose headphones, speakers and other tech
- Up to 37% off Sony tech
- Up to 39% off Shokz headphones
- Up to 33% off Sonos headphones and speakers
- Up to 50% off Anker tech accessories
- Up to 47% off Govee indoor and outdoor smart lights
- Up to 33% off Asus Rog gaming devices and tech
- Up to 50% off Belkin chargers and tech accessories
- Up to 50% off TCL TVs
- Up to 39% off Epson printers
- Up to 38% off FitBit smartwatches
Best Prime Day hair care sales
- Up to 30% off Tangle Teezer hair brushes and hair care products
- Up to 30% off Color Wow hair products
- Up to 30% off Ouai hair care
- Up to 30% off Olaplex hair care
- Up to 30% Nioxin hair thickening products
- Up to 30% off Amika hair products
- Up to 29% off Nutrafol hair growth supplements
- Up to 32% off Ouidad curly hair products
- 25% off the Dyson Supersonic Origin Hair Dryer
- 37% off the T3 SinglePass Curl X
- Up to 40% off Dae hair styling products
- Up to 33% off Pantene shampoos, conditioners and more
Best Prime Day pet sales
- 20% off the Woof Pupsicle
- Up to 58% off Furbo pet cameras
- Up to 35% off Full Moon dog treats and food
- Up to 26% off Hill’s Science Diet dog and cat food
- Up to 25% off Seresto flea and tick preventatives for dogs and cats
- Up to 49% off Petlibro automatic feeders, fountains and more
- Up to 30% off Wuffes dog supplements
- Up to 25% off Temptations cat treats
- Up to 29% off Greenies treats for dogs and cats
- Up to 42% off Merrick dog and cat food
- Up to 30% off Stella & Chewy’s dog and cat food, treats and more
- 33% off the Chom Chom Roller Pet Hair Remover
- Up to 24% off Uproot Clean pet hair removing products and more
Best sales at other retailers
- Target: Shop Target Circle Week through Jul. 12
- Walmart: Shop the Walmart Deals event through Jul. 13
- Best Buy: Shop the Black Friday in July sale through Jul. 13
- Nordstrom: Shop the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale through Aug. 3
- Williams Sonoma: Up to 50% on select kitchenware and appliances
- Wayfair: Up to 70% off during Wayfair’s Four Day Flash Sale
- Saks Fifth Avenue: Up to 70% off during the Designer Sale
- Ulta: Up to 40% off during the Big Summer Beauty Sale through Jul. 19
- Lululemon: Save on athletic apparel, workout equipment and more during the Summer Scores even
- Crane & Canopy: Up to 70% off bedding and decor
- Macy’s: Up to 60% on clothing, shoes, home, kitchen and more during Macy’s Star Deals Week
- Anthropologie: Up to 40% on home goods and up to 30% seasonal fashion
- KitchenAid: Up to 25% off countertop kitchen appliances through Jul. 19
- Ana Luisa: Up to 25% off sitewide
- BaubleBar: Up to 20% off sitewide through Jul. 11
- DSW: Up to 25% off most items sitewide with code PRIMEDEAL (online only)
- The Company Store: Up to 45% off epic deals and up to 25% off everything else sitewide
- Dermstore: Up to 25% off select beauty
- Backcountry: Up 70% off sitewide
- Buffy: Up to 20% select bedding and pillows
- Hulken: 20% off sitewide
- Knix: Up to 50% up off sitewide during the warehouse sale
- Ruggable: 20% off sitewide with code EIGHT
- Lo & Sons: Up to 50% off during the Jet Set July Sale
How I found the best Prime Day deals
All of my recommendations above are based on NBC Select’s previous coverage and reporting. I also included products the NBC Select staff tested, including Wellness Award and Giftable Tech Award winners. I ran each deal through price trackers like CamelCamelCamel to ensure products are at their lowest price in at least three months. All the products I recommend are 20% off or more, and highly rated with at least a 4.0-star average rating from hundreds of reviews.
Why trust NBC Select?
I’m a reporter for NBC Select who has covered Amazon Prime Day since 2020. In addition to writing about the best deals, I also wrote about what’s included in a Prime membership, the history of Prime Day and what to buy and skip this year. Prior to Amazon’s flagship sale, I previewed a list of deals from the retailer and sorted through them to find worthwhile sales you should know about.
Catch up on NBC Select’s in-depth coverage of tech and tools, wellness and more, and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok to stay up to date.
Top Stories
Meet the Real Meg Stalter, Star of Lena Dunham’s New Show ‘Too Much’
M
eg Stalter was fighting in a hot tub. She had come to a water park in Wisconsin to relax between stops on her comedy tour, which was styled as a series of fake rallies for a rich, famous, and clueless person running for president. (I know this is a difficult political scenario to imagine, but please stay with me.) While Stalter soaked, she became enraged by a group of hot-tub dwellers who were not embodying what she considered to be the spirit of the aquatic center, and she began screaming back and forth with them. “Wow, you seem like a lot of fun,” Stalter yelled, informing them that there were three other sections of the park they could move to if they had a problem with this particular one. Then she stood up, said, “You know what? I’m going to show you that if you don’t like to be around someone, you get up and leave,” turned, and banged her head on the wall.
This is probably tracking for those who know Stalter from her live performances, or Hacks, on which she plays the indefatigably clueless nepo-agent Kayla, or Stalter’s Instagram, which showcases her myriad well-meaning, clueless characters, such as the personification of a business attempting to project allyship to the LQBTQIA+ community. (“Hi, gay! Happy Pride Month. We are sashaying away with deals.”) These talents are deployed to great effect on Too Much (July 10), the new Netflix series from married co-creators Lena Dunham and Luis Felber, in which Stalter plays a fictionalized version of Dunham, a voice of a clueless generation.
But Meg Stalter is not so much clueless as compassionately guileless. See, she was at the water park with her girlfriend, and there was a tiny child swimming alone in the hot tub. Some adults started sticking their arms out and pushing the boy away so he couldn’t enter “their area” because he was allegedly “scratching and splashing.” (At an all-ages water park, this seems like a barrier of entry.) When Stalter told them they could not touch another person’s kid but could feel free to steep elsewhere in the massive facility, the man in the group started cursing at her. And then she was so upset, actually shaking with anger as she went to go find the little boy’s parents, that she clonked her skull in front of those assholes. “It was so embarrassing,” Stalter says. “It was, like, out of a movie.”
Stalter’s protective instincts for the innocent extend to her own inner child, who is close enough to the surface as to be visible; her grooming tends toward pigtails and the kind of glittery makeup job one applies after receiving a fully stocked Caboodles makeup kit from Santa. Today, sitting in the empty audience of her favorite Los Angeles performance spot, Largo, before it opens, Stalter is wearing Hello Kitty Crocs and a one-shoulder dress in Lisa Frank-lite pastels. When we greet each other, she gives me tangerines she’d picked the day before on a trip to a farm with her girlfriend. The produce bag is sweetly tied with a sextuple-looped yellow ribbon.
In person, with her comedic cutie-brat persona tucked away, Stalter is earnest and vulnerable, frequently invoking the importance of her faith. “I’m very, like, a God girl,” she says. “So I believe that God has a plan for me, and if something happens, then he’ll have another plan.” Stalter is also, against all evidence, quite soft-spoken. “If I was in a store and someone shushed me in a scary way, that would affect me,” Stalter says. “If someone was mean to me, I could feel like the little girl. ‘Why would they be mean to her?’ ”
During Stalter’s childhood in Ohio, they were mean to her. After graduating from Catholic elementary school, she attended civilian middle school and struggled to understand why everyone wasn’t friends. The popular girls “tortured” her, she says. In an effort to facilitate the missing camaraderie, Stalter invited everyone to a Hawaiian-themed party at her house. She discovered invitations she’d lovingly handed out tossed in the trash at school. Two people wound up attending.
Stalter’s mom was (perhaps unsurprisingly) an early ally. She found Stalter funny for the things she still perceives to be true about herself: being “embarrassing or nervous and confident at the same time.” Stalter would do interpretive dances on the sidewalk; the joke was that her mom was the only one who knew she wasn’t crazy.
That tension of not everyone getting it is Stalter’s comedic modus operandi. She recalls a show at the Laugh Factory in Chicago, before she was famous, where the audience was full of drunk tourists — and a lone friend of Stalter’s. She had a bit where she would take the stage with blood pouring out of her mouth and open by saying, “Sorry if my mouth bleeds tonight. My mouth bleeds when I get nervous, but I think I’m OK tonight.” The only person who laughed at that show, and hysterically, was her buddy. It was a great night.
“It’s fun if it’s even just one person,” she says of connecting with an audience. “And sometimes that could be me.”
When she performs, Stalter says, “It’s something that comes over me like a trance. One of my best friends, [Saturday Night Live star] Sarah Sherman, told me that when she does stand-up, it feels like meditation. And I was like, ‘Oh, my God. It feels like that.’ ” Stalter says when she’s performed with a headache, she stops feeling it until she leaves the stage. “I think that’s when [I know] I’m meant to do that,” Stalter says. Any pain goes away while she enacts God’s purpose for her.
In Too Much, Stalter’s Jessica is a celebration of the show’s title. The character is caught between a manic id fueled equally by a painful breakup and the lust of new love, and the debilitating superego induced by the same life events. Jess records a series of videos she doesn’t intend to release, directly addressing the woman her ex is now engaged to (played by the comically hot Emily Ratajkowski), and whips herself into self-sabotage by questioning her new relationship with Felix (Will Sharpe of The White Lotus Season Two fame), who is loosely based on Felber. Any time you fear things are getting unsustainably tumultuous, you need only remind yourself that every episode is a play on the title of a famous rom-com (e.g., “Notting Kill”) and that its creators are now happily married enough to want to work together.
“When I’m performing, something comes over me like a trance. That’s when I know I’m meant to do it.”
The show gives Stalter her first major leading role. She is perhaps the only person besides Dunham who could have played it, which is why Dunham wrote it for her.
Andrew Scott, who also appears in Too Much, introduced Dunham to Stalter’s work. Dunham says he’d shown her Meg’s videos “in the heart of Covid and said, ‘Do you know this girl? She’s your sister.’ ” (Dunham does play Stalter’s onscreen sister, hilariously despondent after her husband decides to explore bisexuality and polyamory while she languishes in a series of increasingly sedentary supine positions.) “I became totally transfixed,” Dunham says. “Someone whose characters operate on the edge of delusional, on the edge of cringe, but is always ultimately in on the joke — that, to me, is my comedy DNA.” Dunham cites the characters David Brent on the U.K. Office, Patsy and Edina on Absolutely Fabulous, and Valerie Cherish of The Comeback as Stalter’s fictional ancestors.
Around 2022, Dunham DM’d Stalter on Instagram and said she had a project in mind. Stalter was a mega Girls fan and had felt a kinship with Dunham through the screen. “I’d connect to this person,” she’d thought about a hypothetical but unlikely future meeting while watching Dunham play Hannah Horvath, the series’ divisive protagonist.
When Stalter and Dunham got on Zoom, Stalter’s instinct was confirmed. Dunham had made a deck of the show — kind of a mood board/game plan for a television series — and there were photos of Stalter on it as the main character. Then Dunham told Stalter, “Girls was about sex, and this is about love.” It was kismet; Stalter had met her now-partner only four months earlier and refers to her this way: “No one’s perfect except for my girlfriend.”
“We’re very different, just like Lena and Luis,” Stalter says. “When me and Lena first talked, we were bonding over that. I feel like I’m the Lena, and I’m the one bringing home a thing.”
Stalter is referring to the chaos of her life, but sometimes the “thing” is literal. Imagining a conversation between Felber and Dunham, Stalter riffs, “She could be like, ‘Honey, I bought a pig today.’ And then he’s like [affectionately], ‘Oh, Lena.’ ” Working with the couple proved the premise of the show. “It just feels like Luis fully lets Lena, and Lena lets Luis, be exactly who they are,” Stalter says. “I think sometimes you could be with someone who likes all the differences.”
In her own menagerie, Stalter currently has two cats — one rather more aloof, and one hairless snuggler named Suki — and a dog called Bunny, who manages an anxiety disorder with medication and as much physical contact with Stalter as possible. On Too Much, Jess, like Dunham, has a bald dog, procured after giving up a rescue (in this case named Cutesie) because of behavioral issues.
In 2017, Dunham went through several heinous press cycles, including one around the saga of her and then-partner Jack Antonoff’s real-life dog, Lamby, whom they surrendered to a canine rehabilitation center after multiple instances of aggression. In Too Much, Jess’ boyfriend forces her to “get rid” of their dog after it nearly bites someone. It’s one of many moments that invite a close read, especially in the context of Dunham’s autobiographical pieces of writing about her wrenching breakup with Antonoff and her subsequent move to London — the city where Stalter’s character decamps after the end of a relationship with a Jewish ex-boyfriend.
“People love when they see something and they’re like, ‘Is that from that person’s real life?’ ” Stalter says. “Even if it’s not all factual or it’s not literally a biography, someone so open about sharing their real experiences or at least putting them into certain characters, it’s really beautiful, because we get to learn about her. That’s why when I saw Girls, even though [Lena is] not Hannah, there’s parts of her in her stuff. That’s the most beautiful thing to see, someone who’s putting their heart and energy into something and you get to learn about them — but then you’re not taking everything that happened as truth.”
At the precipice of her highest-profile role yet, Stalter is contemplating what the project might mean for nonconsensual probing into her own life. People watching her videos is fine, because she has complete control over them, and people are seeing them in their homes. When audiences come to her stand-up shows, well, that’s what she’s always wanted, and the work is begetting fans who want to see more work. “It feels contained or something,” Stalter says. “And then with Hacks, it’s been so huge and life-changing. But in my mind, I could be safe because I’m not the lead in it.
“Lena is someone I’ve been such a huge fan of, so it was really crazy to wrap my mind around being in the show,” Stalter says slowly. “But then when I got to know her, she felt like a sister and a friend. So now the show feels like a play that we did for each other, and that this really contains a special thing.”
“Getting to know Lena, she felt like a sister and a friend. So now the show feels like a play that we did for each other.”
Sharpe remembers filming an episode — one of the best of the series — that takes place over one night, in Stalter’s character’s apartment. The couple has had sex too many times, and Sharpe’s character has hit his refractory limit. Sharpe’s line after aborting the encounter was supposed to be something like, “I’m in my thirties, queen. I’m all out.” After an exhausting day of filming, it came out, in a posh accent, as, “That’s me done for the evening, I’m afraid.” Stalter named this imaginary interloping gentleman “the Midnight Man,” and pointed out every time Sharpe strayed into Midnight Man territory during production. Then she made him a shirt with the moniker on it. “Because of the energy of Lena — and Meg, in particular — it put you in quite a positive, hopeful, loving mindset,” Sharpe says of shooting the series. “Just seeing the best in everything and in everyone.”
The setting allowed Stalter the confidence and space to play a role that both exercises her obvious comedic virtuosity and shows previously untapped dramatic ability, from dealing with insecurity (not a state expressed by a typical Stalter character) to a breakdown during a breakup. “Some of the stuff that’s in the show I feel is like, Oh! Nobody would ever see me do this if it wasn’t on TV,” Stalter says. “When you’re crying in your room alone, people don’t see that unless it’s on TV. I’m really crying.”
Embodying what Dunham describes as Stalter’s “incredible mix of warm/fuzzy and boundaried strength,” Stalter explains how she approached fictional sex with the advice of intimacy coordinator Miriam Lucia: “During kissing scenes or during vulnerable stuff, it’s not actually you, and you don’t have to do it the way you do, because you can save that part for yourself.” As for Stalter’s corporeal being — beautifully showcased on a series in which her character is implicitly contrasted with one played by an actual supermodel — she says, “I’m very about taking care of my body and being healthy, but I have not wanted to be skinny or lose weight for cosmetic reasons since high school.” A beacon for us all.
To make public the kind of deeply personal moments fostered by Dunham’s writing is, by definition, exposing. “It just feels really vulnerable,” Stalter says. “It’s hard or strange to think of it being on such a huge platform. It’s exciting … but also, just, Netflix is so big.”
Stalter points to her career-long luck of collaborating with people like Dunham and the Hacks team. “I’ve not worked with evil people,” she says. “I don’t know how.” But she also considers the world this project is opening her up to. “I think there is power in Hollywood that is gross,” she says. “There’s a lot of darkness in the industry, and things that can corrupt you, like money and power.”
Stalter isn’t particularly concerned. “I feel so connected to God and grounded that I feel like I would not get swept up by anything in Hollywood,” she says.
Stalter sees herself representing — in her life, in a movie she’s developing called Church Girls, and in the “evil, crazy, weird villain” version of herself she plays onstage — people like her, who grew up with God in places like the Midwest, and who maybe didn’t finish college either. “Their lives are just as big as ours,” she says, finally daring to group herself in with her famous peers.
“I’m always going to be sensitive,” Stalter says. “I am still that little girl in middle school being like, ‘Why don’t they want to come to the Hawaiian party?’ But it’s like, there’ve been so many other parties.”
Production Credits
Produced by PATRICIA BILOTTI at PBNY PRODUCTIONS. Styled by KAT TYPALDOS. Hair by ERICKA VERRETT at A-FRAME using ROZ. Makeup by MELISSA HERNANDEZ at A-FRAME using HAUS LABS. Photo assistants: SCOTT TURNER and SANDRA RIVERA. Styling assistant: LYDIA GINGRICH. Photographed at DUST STUDIOS
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