Sipu Jha
Dallas Mavericks rookie Cooper Flagg just made the NBA record for most points scored by a teenager in a single season. In a close-contested 121-123 loss to the Hornets on Thursday night, Cooper Flagg’s individual brilliance was on full display for the fans to witness when the rookie dropped 49 points. Despite the historic performance at the American Airlines Center, the Mavericks were unable to snap their three-game losing streak. Whereas the Hornets have been cruising recently. With this win against Mavs, they are now on a five game winning streak.
Rookie Cooper Flagg drops historic 49-point game in a loss to Hornets
After being selected as the #1 overpick in the 2025 NBA draft, Cooper Flagg has barely given the Mavs’ front office any reason to feel disappointed. The 19-year-old rising star surpassed Cliff Robinson’s long-standing record of 45 points scored as a teenager in 1980. Finally, the day came after four long decades when Cooper Flagg broke the record with his career high 49 points against Hornets. He finished the night with 10 rebounds, 3 assists, while shooting 20-of-29 from the field, 3-5 from three-point line, and went 6-6 from FT. Along with setting the league record, Flagg also broke the Mavericks’ franchise rookie scoring record of 42 points, previously held by Aguirre. His efficiency on the court this season has been staggering. As a rookie, he’s leading the franchise not only in total points (856) and points per game(19.5 PPG), but also in Steals per game (1.3). But Flagg wasn’t the only rookie who mesmerized everyone on Thursday night. His former Duke University roommate, Kon Knueppel of the Charlotte Hornets, also led his team with a career-high 34 points, setting a franchise rookie record by hitting eight three-pointers.
Mavs can’t convert Cooper Flagg’s excellence into victory
Flagg’s scoring outburst in the second quarter fueled his high-scoring night. He went 8-of-9 from the field and poured in 23 points. However, the Hornets’ attack with Brandon Miller contributing 23 points, and LaMelo Ball’s 22 points with six triples, was too much for Mavs defense. Despite Klay Thompson’s 16 points, Dallas failed to secure a win. Cooper Flagg might be leading the race for 2026 Rookie of the Year, but if Dallas can’t convert their rookie’s sensational talent into a win, then the championship dream would be nothing more than a distant fantasy. They currently sit at 12th place in a conference that is filled with heavyweights like the reigning NBA champions Thunder (38-11) and the surging Spurs (32-15). In comparison to them, Mavericks’ 19-29 record doesn’t look promising.
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