Cooper Flagg led the Mavericks with 49 points (20-of-29 FGs), 10 rebounds, three assists, one block and three three-pointers in a 123-121 loss to the Hornets on Thursday.
Flagg missed Wednesday’s game against the Hornets but was back to take on Charlotte. In a matchup with his former college teammates Kon Knueppel and Sion James, Flagg’s team didn’t come out on top, but he shined brightest. Only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who scored 51 points on 72 percent shooting in a game as a rookie, has ever matched or exceed Flagg’s points and field goal percentage in a game as a rookie. Of course, Kareem was less than two months from turning 23, while Flagg just turned 19. He has been incredible as a rookie and should be in line to win Rookie of the Year.