Flagg becomes the third and only teenager to record at least 40 points, five rebounds and five assists, joining LeBron James and Kevin Durant.
Published December 16, 2025
Cooper Flagg scored the most points by an 18-year-old in NBA history, but he didn’t get to enjoy his accomplishment because it came in a loss.
In Monday night’s 140-133 loss to the Utah Jazz, Flagg scored 42 points, more than the 37 points scored by LeBron James on December 13, 2003.
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“Obviously, we didn’t win, so it’s hard to want to be happy or anything like that, but obviously it was a success,” said Flagg, who rolled the ice at the end of regulation and had a bag of ice on his ankle.
Flagg also had seven boards and six assists, becoming the fifth rookie in the last 15 years to record 40 points, five rebounds and five assists.
“The more time he spends on the floor, the more he sees and the better he gets, and tonight he showed it all,” Dallas coach Jason Kidd said.
Flagg, the No. 1 overall draft pick, has been playing his best basketball in recent weeks, averaging 25.7 points in his last seven games. He was active all the way to the line and had 15 hits in 20 at bats against Utah.
“I’m proud of this fourth quarter because we’ve come a long way since the start of the season,” Flagg said. “It’s a new game…but I’m getting more and more comfortable…and to be honest, just being myself and surrendering to the game.”
He scored 12 points in the fourth quarter and made a smart play to send the game into overtime, but he intentionally missed the free throw on a carom so big that teammate Max Christie grabbed the rebound and was fouled with 3.9 seconds left.
Flagg ties Mavs rookie scoring record
With Anthony Davis out and Dallas missing several other teammates with injuries, this game could be a harbinger of things to come with Flagg becoming the focal point of the Mavericks’ offense.
“We were going to go with Coop, and they ended up trying to double him because he was killing them all game,” P.J. Washington said. “I’m not surprised at all. I know exactly what he’s capable of. There’s going to be a lot more to come because he’s a special player.”
Flagg also began to emerge with the franchise, tying Mark Aguirre for the most points by a rookie in Mavs history. But despite the throbbing pain in his ankle, he couldn’t help but think about what he could have done to win. The Jazz went on an 11-0 run late in the game and continued to dominate in overtime as Flagg failed to score in overtime.
“We’ve got to be better. We had some stupid turnovers, we missed some easy turnovers, but we’ve got to get through stretches like that and get better,” Flagg said.
While it might be nice to set a record, Flagg felt it only meant he was making steady progress, which was his goal all season.
“I’m not really focused on those things (records). I’m more focused on being out there every day and getting better and helping the team get as many wins as possible,” Flagg said.
