Cooper Flagg made NBA history on Monday night, but the milestone came in frustrating circumstances as the Dallas Mavericks fell 140-133 to the Utah Jazz.
The 18-year-old rookie scored 42 points, the most ever by a player of his age in the league, surpassing the previous record of 37 set by LeBron James in December 2003.
Despite the achievement, Flagg was left disappointed after the loss, cutting a subdued figure in the aftermath with ice strapped to his ankle following a late injury in regulation.
“Obviously, we didn’t win. So, it’s tough for me to want to be happy or any of that,” Flagg said. “But obviously, it’s a success.”
Flagg, who turns 19 on Sunday, delivered one of the standout performances of his early NBA career. Alongside his scoring output, he recorded seven rebounds, six assists, two blocks and a steal.
The display placed him in elite company. Flagg became just the third teenager in league history to post at least 40 points, five rebounds and five assists in a game, joining Kevin Durant and James.
Dallas head coach Jason Kidd was quick to highlight the progress his young forward continues to make.
“The more time he spends on the floor, the more he sees, the better he gets. He displayed it all tonight,” Kidd said.
Flagg has found strong form in recent weeks, averaging 25.7 points over his last seven appearances. His attacking mindset has been particularly evident in his ability to draw fouls, converting 15-of-20 attempts from the free-throw line against Utah.
Reflecting on his development, Flagg pointed to increased comfort as the season has progressed.
“It’s come a long way from the start of the season, so I’m proud of that fourth quarter,” he said. “It’s a new game, but I am getting more and more comfortable, and just settling in, honestly, just being myself and letting the game come to me.”
He scored 12 points in the fourth quarter and showed his awareness late on, deliberately missing a free throw to create a rebound opportunity.
Team-mate Max Christie collected the ball with 3.9 seconds remaining and was fouled, helping Dallas force overtime.
Becoming central to Dallas offence
With Anthony Davis sidelined and several other Mavericks unavailable through injury, Flagg has increasingly become a focal point in Dallas’ attacking play, a trend that may continue in the weeks ahead.
“We were going to Coop. He was killing them the whole game, so they finally tried to double him,” said P.J. Washington.
“It doesn’t surprise me at all. I know exactly what he’s capable of. He’s a special player, so there will be a lot more to come.”
Flagg’s 42 points also tied Mark Aguirre’s franchise record for the most points scored by a rookie in a single game for the Mavericks.
Despite the individual accolades, Flagg was left dwelling on missed opportunities. Utah closed regulation with an 11-0 run before taking control in overtime, where Flagg did not register a field goal.
“I got to be better. I had a couple of dumb turnovers, missed a couple easy ones, but I got to be better, executing down the stretch like that,” he said.
“I’m not really focused on a lot of that stuff [the records]. I’m more just focused on being present, day to day, and trying to get better and getting our team as many wins as we can,” he said.
