With just a week left in the 2025 No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg’s rookie season, he posted one of his best displays in a 238-127 loss to the Orlando Magic on Friday night. Flagg put up an impressive outing, scoring a new career-high 51 points. He’s now the only teenager in NBA history to register 50 points in a single game.
Flagg, 19, one-upped his Jan. 29 performance, where he finished with 49 points in a loss to his former college teammate, Kon Knueppel, and the Charlotte Hornets. He also broke the single-game scoring record by a teenager in the NBA, a record he already owned from his scoring frenzy just a few months ago.
To add on to the impressive display, Flagg also connected on a career-high in three pointers. He shot 6-9 from beyond the three-point line. A majority of his points came in the fourth quarter. The Mavericks headed into the final period down by 19. Flagg’s 24 points in the fourth helped get Dallas back within 11, only to finish the game with the loss.
Cooper Flagg’s Impressive Rookie Season
Although the Dallas Mavericks were knocked out of playoff contention on March 23, Cooper Flagg has put the team on his back and led the franchise in a season that’s worthy of forgetting.
So far this season, Flagg has averaged 20.8 points, 6.6 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 1.2 steals per game while shooting 47.2% from the field and 29.3% from three.
Despite a left foot sprain that caused him to miss eight games from Feb. 10 to March 5, Flagg has been mostly healthy this season. He’s now played in 65 of Dallas’ 77 games so far in 2025-26.
Some of Cooper Flagg’s best performances this season include both his 51-point and 49-point games. A few others include dropping 42 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists in a 140-133 overtime loss to the Utah Jazz on Dec. 15 and having 36 points, 9 rebounds, and 6 assists in a 110-100 loss to the Boston Celtics on Feb. 3.
It’s safe to say that the Dallas Mavericks have a great player to pair alongside Kyrie Irving once he’s able to return from a torn ACL. Irving and Flagg haven’t been able to play together yet after Dallas ruled the nine-time All-Star out for the remainder of the season.
Cooper Flagg vs. Kon Knueppel for NBA Rookie of the Year
Cooper Flagg has put together a rookie season that should come from a No. 1 overall pick, but he’s fighting with his former teammate for the NBA Rookie of the Year Award.
The Charlotte Hornets’ Kon Knueppel is currently ranked No. 1 on the Kia Rookie Ladder while averaging 18.8 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 3.4 assists while shooting 48.3% from the field and an impressive 43.1% from three.
Knueppel also leads the NBA in three-pointers made this season with 264 total threes. He also broke the Hornets’ single-season three-pointers made record on Thursday.
Cooper Flagg’s per-game averages are better than Kon Knueppel’s. However, the Hornets are still fighting for a playoff spot, while the Mavericks are no longer in the playoff race.
It will be a battle between former Duke teammates, but Cooper Flagg’s performance on Friday will definitely be a new factor in determining the winner of the award. With just over a week remaining in the NBA regular season, it will be a battle of former Blue Devils for the illustrious reward.
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