DALLAS — Cooper Flagg was out of reach for a while, which had his coach and teammates leaving the game as they sought to secure the Dallas Mavericks’ top rookie pick.
However, less than a quarter later on Friday night, Flagg made history by becoming the first teenager to rack up 51 points in an NBA game, despite Dallas falling to the Orlando Magic 138-127.
Flagg delivered an impressive 24 points in the fourth quarter, even after coach Jason Kidd and forward Naji Marshall were kicked out for arguing a no-call on a foul by Desmond Bane on Flagg.
Interestingly, Kidd was ejected after just one technical foul, while Marshall incurred another technical foul right before the end of the first half—just after Kidd had been sent off.
“It was great to see,” Flagg reflected, having made 19 of 30 shots from the field and hitting all seven free throws, ultimately surpassing his previous career high of 49 points achieved in a loss to Charlotte on January 29.
“I know Coach has my back and Nagy’s back… He definitely supports me,” Flagg noted. “Seeing their emotions and their push for the calls motivated me even more.”
Flagg ended the game with 45 points, but assistant coach Frank Vogel, who took over for Kidd, claimed he was just giving the 19-year-old a breather during defensive plays.
Vogel called a timeout with a little over three minutes left to let Flagg back into the game. Shortly thereafter, Flagg made history with a corner three-pointer after grabbing an offensive rebound.
On Dallas’s following possession, Flagg reached his 50-point mark with an off-balance shot in the lane, managing to convert the free throw afterward and leaving the court to a standing ovation.
While Dallas was down by as many as 30 points in the fourth quarter, this marked their 14th consecutive loss at home, the longest home streak since the Mavericks lost their first 19 games after Reunion Arena was torn down during the 1993-94 season.
“It feels good to get into that mode,” Flagg admitted. “Basketball seems essential. Your teammates support you. But I really want to win. It’s tough to completely enjoy the game when you’re behind by 20, 10, or 15 points most of the match.”
Flagg expressed his belief that Bane committed a foul early in the fourth quarter.
“I think Kidd’s reaction was reasonable,” Flagg said. “I spoke to Bane after the play, and he admitted he was intentionally trying to foul. I honestly don’t get how it was missed.”
Kidd, who watched the game on TV, noted he could hear the crowd’s excitement as Flagg shot 8-of-12 and 4-of-6 from beyond the arc in the fourth quarter, calling it a thrilling moment.
Flagg’s previous best game had come against former Duke teammate Conn Knuppel, who is a top Rookie of the Year contender.
Kidd also compared Flagg’s performance to his own Rookie of the Year win with the Mavericks 31 years ago, bringing up Michael Jordan’s rookie achievements just to emphasize Flagg’s potential. Yes, Jordan was indeed the Rookie of the Year in 1985.
Even amid a long home losing streak, the rookies managed to steal the spotlight for one night, though they couldn’t end the slump.
