Dallas Mavericks rookie Cooper Flagg confirmed his extraordinary talent with a historic performance on Thursday that lifted him even higher into the stratosphere.
In a game honoring one of the franchise’s legends, Flagg scored a team rookie record 49 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in a 123-121 loss to the Charlotte Hornets. He surpassed Mark Aguirre’s 42-point rookie record from the 1981-82 season, a mark Flagg had previously matched on Dec. 15 against the Utah Jazz.
The Mavericks, preparing to face the Houston Rockets on Saturday in the finale of a four-game series (Dallas leads 2-1), celebrated their storied past while getting a glimpse of a promising future, with Flagg undeniably at its center.
“It’s special to have an accomplishment like that,” Flagg said. “It’s such a special night for (Aguirre) and the whole organization, so I just feel blessed. It’s a pretty cool thing.”
Despite Flagg’s heroics, the Mavericks suffered their third consecutive loss. A last-minute turnover and foul contributed to the Hornets sealing the win.
Flagg’s coach praised his competitive drive, saying the 19-year-old possesses the character franchises rely on for future leadership.
“We got to see a young man play the game at a very high level,” Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said. “He scored, played defense—he did it all. He’s not about numbers. He’s about wins and losses. That’s who he is. He competes to win. People who take stats, he’s not worried about. For a young man who thinks that way, he’s going to be a champion sooner than later.”
The Houston Rockets, navigating roster challenges, earned a 104-86 road win over the Atlanta Hawks in the second game of a back-to-back.
Houston won despite missing reserve center Steven Adams (season-ending ankle surgery) and wings Tari Eason and Dorian Finney-Smith, who typically do not play back-to-back games.
Short-handed, the Rockets relied on their depth: Josh Okogie posted 10 points and 10 rebounds, Jae’Sean Tate contributed 19 energetic minutes off the bench, and Clint Capela added 10 points, seven rebounds, and two blocks.
“Some of the guys that didn’t play as much (Wednesday) really injected energy,” Rockets coach Ime Udoka said. “Overall, you could see the pace and physicality they played with. It made a huge difference.”
–Field Level Media