Cooper Flagg
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Cooper Flagg set a new rookie record with 49 points against Charlotte
Cooper Flagg stamped himself as the Rookie of the Year favorite on Thursday night during an epic showdown against ex-Duke teammate Kon Knueppel and the Charlotte Hornets.
Flagg erupted for a career-high 49 points in the Dallas Mavericks’ loss, setting a record for the most points by a teenager in NBA history.
The former No. 1 pick made 20-of-29 field goals, including a three-pointer that tied the game at 121-121 with 33.5 seconds remaining.
His 49-point showing broke the Dallas Mavericks‘ rookie record he shared with Mark Aguirre, whose No. 24 was retired in a halftime ceremony during the game.
Not to be outdone, Knueppel scorched the Mavericks to the tune of 34 points with eight three-pointers.
He forced Flagg into committing a turnover with 7.6 seconds remaining and hit the winning free throws after drawing a foul on his former roommate in transition.
The former Duke stars are the first pair of opposing rookies who attended the same college to each score 30 or more points in the same game.
“We’ll both remember this night and this whole year in general for the rest of our lives, and we’ll talk about it and stuff like that,” Flagg told reporters postgame.
When recalling how surreal it is to have an NBA duel with his former college teammate, Flagg had nothing but love for Knueppel.
“I think 10-plus years down the road, I think we’ll both be looking back on this as a pretty special thing… That’s my brother for life.”
Cooper Flagg Continues to Break Records
Cooper Flagg
GettyCooper Flagg broke the Mavericks rookie single-game scoring record
Trading away franchise cornerstone Luke Doncic is still a daunting memory for Mavericks fans, but Flagg’s stellar play this season helps ease the pain.
The 19-year-old forward has been nothing short of spectacular in his rookie season.
Flagg became the youngest NBA player to score 40 points in December — eclipsing a record previously held by LeBron James — and followed that up with another 40-point showing on Thursday.
The former Duke standout joins James and Anthony Edwards as the only teenagers with multiple 40-point games in a single season.
Flagg now ranks sixth in clutch points this season, outpacing Nikola Jokic, James Harden, Kevin Durant and Steph Curry in that regard.
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Cooper Flagg becomes the 2nd youngest player in NBA history to reach 800 career points.
Only LeBron was younger.
Should Flagg be the ROY Favorite?
Cooper Flagg
GettyCooper Flagg and Kon Knueppel had a historic duel on Thursday
Flagg and Knueppel have been the frontrunners for the Rookie of the Year award essentially all season.
Their historic duel on Thursday didn’t make choosing a favorite much easier.
OptaSTATS
Most combined points by opposing rookies in a regulation game, NBA history:
91 – Tiny Archibald & Pete Maravich (3/13/1971) 85 – Wilt Chamberlain & Johnny Green (2/21/1960) 83 – Cooper Flagg & Kon Knueppel (tonight)
Still, the No. 1 pick Flagg has a strong chance of claiming the award.
The Maverick star is averaging 19.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game this season.
Flagg is second among rookies in games with 20+ points. His 20 such games is one fewer than his ex-teammate Knueppel.
Most importantly, Flagg has demonstrated leadership qualities and could soon usher in another winning era of Mavericks basketball.
“[Flagg] is not about numbers, he’s about wins and losses,” Mavs head coach Jason Kidd said on Thursday. “That’s who he is. He competes to win. People who take stats, he’s not worried about… He’s going to be a champion sooner than later… He tried to will his team into a win tonight.”
Flagg and the Mavericks travel to Houston on Saturday for a Texas showdown against the Kevin Durant-led Rockets.