Dallas rookie Cooper Flagg goes nuclear vs. Jazz, finishes with career-high 42 points.
Despite a 140-133 overtime loss to the Jazz, Mavericks rookie Cooper Flagg had himself a night to remember.
At the midpoint, Flagg already tallied a career-high for any half (24 points).
By the final buzzer, Flagg became the fourth rookie in Mavericks history to record a 40-point game, joining Jay Vincent (twice in 1982), Mark Aguirre (1981) and Roddy Beaubois (2010).
And with 42 total, Flagg became the youngest player – and first 18-year-old – to score at least 40 in a game. He surpasses LeBron James, whose 37 points on Dec. 13, 2003 vs. the Boston Celtics stood as the previous high for the under-19 set.
Flagg, who entered the night averaging 17.5 ppg, 6.3 rpg and 3.4 apg, leads the NBA’s Kia Rookie Ladder and aims to keep his top spot with Monday’s iconic performance.
HE’S ONLY 18 (for 6 more days….)‼️ SPECIAL‼️#MFFL pic.twitter.com/4u2L5ZvIXK
— Dallas Mavericks (@dallasmavs) December 16, 2025
NBA.com will have more on this developing story soon.
