Cooper Flagg, the number one pick in the 2025 Draft and known as “the great white hope of the NBA”, exploded for 49 points (20 of 29 from the field) in his Dallas Mavericks‘ 121-123 loss to the Charlotte Hornets, who won thanks to two free throws by fellow rookie Kon Knueppel (No. 4 pick in the 2025 Draft) with 4.1 seconds left in the game.
Kon Knueppel, who is currently the favorite to win the NBA Rookie of the Year title and was Flagg’s roommate at Duke University, scored 34 points with eight three-pointers in the best scoring performance of his career.
The Hornets rookie stole the ball from Flagg, who committed a personal foul, with the scoreboard at the American Airlines Center tied.
Cooper Flagg and I would like to win Rookie of the Year, but we don’t talk about it
Flagg’s buzzer-beater to send the game into overtime did not go in, so the Hornets secured their fifth consecutive victory.
“An incredible finish to a phenomenal match,” said Knueppel.Brandon Miller scored 23 points, his ninth straight game with at least 20 points, and LaMelo Ball added 22 points with six 3-pointers.
An incredible ending to a phenomenal match
The Dallas Mavericks retired Mark Aguirre’s No. 24 jersey
The Mavericks’ defeat spoiled the night for the legendary Mark Aguirre, who became the fifth player in Dallas history to see his jersey retired (with the number 24) during the halftime ceremony.
Cooper Flagg breaks NBA record for most points scored by a teenager
Flagg, who turned 19 in December, broke the NBA record for most points in a game by a teenager. Cliff Robinson set the previous record of 45 points at age 19 with the Nets against the Pistons on March 9, 1980
“We will both remember this night and this whole year for the rest of our lives”
According to ESPN Research, the 83 points scored by Cooper Flagg and Kon Knueppel is the most points scored by a pair of rookies in a game since Tiny Archibald and Pete Maravich combined for 91 points in 1971.
“We’ll both remember this night and this whole year in general for the rest of our lives, and we’ll talk about it and stuff like that,” Flagg said.
Kon Knueppel confessed that “Cooper Flagg and I would like to win the Rookie of the Year award, but we don’t talk about it.”
Flagg surpassed Knueppel as the leading scorer among NBA rookies with 19.5 points per game.
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