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Mavericks Make Cooper Flagg Announcement After Loss to Hornets

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Paolo Songco | Last updated Jan 30, 2026 6:35 AM ET

Dallas Mavericks rookie star Cooper Flagg turned in his best performance as a pro on Thursday night against the Charlotte Hornets. The 19-year-old went off for a career-high 49 points on 20-of-29 shooting, to go along with 10 rebounds, three assists, a block and three triples in 38 minutes of action.

It still wasn’t enough, though, as Dallas fell to the Hornets in a close one, 123-121. Fellow rookie Kon Knueppel led Charlotte with 34 points on 10-of-16 shooting, four rebounds, three assists, a steal and eight three-pointers.

It was an awe-inspiring battle between two of the top rookies in the NBA.

Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg (32)© Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

While it was Knueppel and the Hornets who escaped with a close victory, it was Flagg who made his mark on the history books. The 6-foot-9 small forward made NBA history again, this time marking a scoring milestone that has never been seen in the past.

The Mavs took to social media to announce Flagg’s latest feat.

“Cooper Flagg recorded a career-high 49 points and 10 rebounds to set the record for most points by a teenager in NBA history,” Mavs PR posted on X.

Cooper Flagg recorded a career-high 49 points and 10 rebounds to set the record for most points by a teenager in NBA history.

He became the first rookie to record a 49-point, 10-rebound game since Michael Jordan in 1984-85. pic.twitter.com/MAAbL2wsZT
— Mavs PR (@MavsPR) January 30, 2026

As the post indicates, Flagg is also the first rookie to produce a 49-point, 10-rebound double-double since 1985. The last player to achieve this feat was the great Michael Jordan.

The only downside of Flagg’s historic night is that it came during a loss. The Mavericks dropped to 19-29 after this latest defeat, marking their third straight loss.

Flagg will look to keep his hot streak going for Dallas’ next game. They will return to action on Saturday in a road game against the 29-17 Houston Rockets.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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