Cooper Flagg
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Cooper Flagg suffered a shoulder injury against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The Dallas Mavericks could not find a way to stop the bleeding Tuesday night.
Dallas fell to the Boston Celtics 110-100 at American Airlines Center, extending their losing streak to five games. The Mavericks dropped to 19-31 on the season and remain firmly on the outside of the playoff picture looking in. Jaylen Brown dominated with 33 points and 11 rebounds for Boston, while Payton Pritchard added 26 off the bench.
But the brightest light on the floor came from Dallas’ 19-year-old rookie. Cooper Flagg poured in 36 points, nine rebounds, and six assists on an absurd 50/50/100 shooting night. The performance extended a stretch that has placed him in the record books.
And it made him the first teenager in NBA history to accomplish something no one else ever has.
Flagg Becomes First Teenager With Three Straight 30-Point Games
Cooper Flagg made history Tuesday night despite the loss.
The Mavericks’ No. 1 overall pick became the first player under 20 years old to drop 30 or more points in three games back-to-back-to-back.
Flagg also became the first rookie to score 34 or more points in three straight games since Trae Young did it in 2018. The company he is keeping at 19 years old speaks to what he has accomplished over the past week.
It was not enough to prevent another Dallas loss. But it was enough to cement Flagg as one of the most dangerous young scorers in the league.
MavsMuse
Cooper Flagg just became the 1st teenager in NBA history with 3 straight 30+ point games.
What the Three-Game Stretch Looked Like
The production across the three-game stretch has been extraordinary.
Game one featured Flagg’s 49-point outburst with 10 boards and three assists. Game two saw him deliver 34 points while grabbing 12 rebounds and dishing five assists. Tuesday’s finale brought 36 points, nine rebounds, and six assists against one of the league’s premier defensive units.
The free throw line has been a point of emphasis for Flagg and the Mavericks recently. He has dealt with criticism about not getting enough calls despite taking contact on drives to the rim. Over his last 10 games before Tuesday, Flagg had shot double-digit free throws just once and had five games where he attempted fewer than five total.
Tuesday marked a shift. Flagg got to the line 11 times and converted 10 of them. He even drew a foul on a three-point attempt, highlighting the attention he is commanding from defenses across the league.
The performance also featured a highlight chase-down block on Baylor Scheierman in transition and an early alley-oop slam from Caleb Martin that gave Dallas a brief lead in the first quarter.
Over his last 10 games, Flagg is averaging 24 points on 50 percent shooting to go with 7.5 rebounds and four assists per game. The efficiency has been there. The volume has followed. And now the recognition is starting to arrive.
The stretch also earned Flagg his third consecutive Western Conference Rookie of the Month award, announced by the NBA on Tuesday.
What It Means for the Mavericks Moving Forward
Flagg celebrated his 19th birthday on December 21. Six weeks later, he has already established himself among the league’s elite young talents. The historic run proves it.
The trade deadline arrives Thursday afternoon, and the Mavericks are looking to reshape their future around Flagg. That likely means moving pieces who are not part of the long-term plan.
The Celtics designed their entire defensive strategy around containing Flagg on Tuesday night, pushing everyone else on the roster to contribute. Most nights, those contributions do not materialize. That reality has shaped Dallas’ season.
But Flagg continues to show why he was the No. 1 pick. And nights like Tuesday prove he is already capable of performing at an elite level against the best teams in the league.
MFFL
Kevin Durant on Cooper Flagg:
“He’s figured it out. He understands that he’s tough to stop.”
#MFFL
Final Word for the Mavericks
Cooper Flagg entered the NBA record books on Tuesday night.
The loss to Boston pushed Dallas’ losing streak to five and dropped the Mavericks to 19-31. The season has been marked by injuries, inconsistent play, and a roster that cannot support its best player.
But the 19-year-old rookie keeps producing performances that put him in territory even the game’s greatest never reached.
The Mavericks face the Houston Rockets next. Flagg will look to keep the streak alive, though the focus should shift toward building momentum for a team that desperately needs it.