Cooper Flagg breaks scoring record while impressing HC Jason Kidd: “The more he sees, the better he gets”

In what is already being described as a coming-of-age moment on one of the league’s biggest stages, Dallas Mavericks rookie Cooper Flagg rewrote the NBA history books on Monday night.

At just 18 years old, Flagg scored 42 points in a dramatic game against the Utah Jazz, becoming the youngest player ever to reach the 40-point mark in an NBA contest.

The performance took place in Salt Lake City, where the Mavericks ultimately fell 140-133 in overtime. Despite the loss, Flagg’s offensive explosion drew immediate comparison with some of the game’s greatest young scorers: LeBron James had held the previous record with 37 points at age 19 in 2003, but Flagg, still a number of days away from his 19th birthday, shattered past his achievement.

Along with his 42 points, he managed seven rebounds and six assists. That combination of scoring and all-around play also placed him among a select group of rookies who have put up 40 points, five rebounds and five assists in recent years.

“It’s come a long way from the start of the season, so I’m proud of that fourth quarter,” Flagg told the media in the aftermath. “It’s a new game ... but I am getting more and more comfortable ... and just settling in, honestly, just being myself and letting the game come to me.”

“He’s a special player, so there will be a lot more to come”

“The more time he spends on the floor, the more he sees, the better he gets. He displayed it all tonight,” Dallas coach Jason Kidd added, reflecting the number one overall pick’s vision of the situation.

Dallas forward P.J. Washington admitted that he and his teammates were aiming for Flagg given his rich vein of form: “We were going to Coop. He was killing them the whole game, so they finally tried to double him. It doesn’t surprise me at all. I know exactly what he’s capable of. He’s a special player, so there will be a lot more to come.”

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