Cooper Flagg scored 49 points, the most by a teenager in a single NBA game, as the Charlotte Hornets defeated the Dallas Mavericks.
Published January 30, 2026
Con Knuppel hit two free throws with 4.1 seconds left to score a career-high 34 points and the Charlotte Hornets beat the Dallas Mavericks 123-121, spoiling a 49-point game from Duke University roommate Cooper Flagg.
Flagg, who turned 19 in December, broke the NBA single-game scoring record by a teenager. Cliff Robinson set the all-time record for New Jersey at age 19 at age 45 on March 9, 1980, against Detroit.
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Flagg made 20 of 29 field goals, a career high, and also grabbed 10 rebounds.
With seven seconds left, Knuppel grabbed Flagg’s errant pass near the center of the court, tying the score. He drove toward the basket but was fouled by the flag as the ball got stuck between the rim and the backboard. Flagg’s shot that sounded the buzzer to send the game into overtime hit the back of the rim.
Knuppel made eight 3-pointers, setting a Hornets rookie record. The Hornets have won five straight games, their longest winning streak since February 2023, when they won five straight games.
Brandon Miller scored 23 points for Charlotte, marking his ninth straight game with 20 or more points. LaMelo made six 3-pointers and added 22 points.
For Dallas, Klay Thompson came off the bench and made 4 of 11 3-pointers for 16 points. The Mavericks had a season-high four-game winning streak, but lost three straight, all at home.
The Hornets had back-to-back road wins, and the Mavericks had back-to-back home wins.
The game marked the first NBA matchup between Flagg and Knuppel, both freshmen at Duke for the 2024-25 season.
Mark Aguirre, Dallas’ only No. 1 overall draft pick since the franchise’s inaugural season in 1980-81, became the team’s fifth player to take off his uniform during the halftime ceremony.
