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Cooper Flagg exploded for a career performance and further etched his name in the history book on Friday, leading the Dallas Mavericks in a loss against the Orlando Magic.
Flagg produced 51 points, six rebounds, three assists, three steals and one blocked shot in the 138-127 loss at the American Airlines Center. He finished by shooting 19-of-30 from the field, including a career-high six 3-pointers in 33 minutes of work.
The No. 1 overall pick is one of 10 first-year players to score 50 or more in a game and is just the third to do so since the NBA-ABA merger (1976-77). He is the youngest player and the only teenager in history to reach that mark (19 years, 104 days).
"He should be Rookie of the Year," Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said. "It is unbelievable. The country is not watching the same thing that we get to watch on a daily basis, the things that he has done. He is in rare air. He is with the GOAT when you talk about M.J. and what he did in his rookie year, and as a teenager."
Flagg surpassed his own record of 49 points for the most scored in a single game by a teenager in history, which, ironically, came against his top competitor for Rookie of the Year: Former Duke teammate and Charlotte Hornets guard Kon Knueppel.
The former All-American closed the gap in the race for the top rookie award, at least, according to most sportsbooks, after seeing his odds move to plus-225. But while that isn't something he is actively campaigning for, Flagg was pleased with his latest outburst.
"It is always fun getting into that type of mode," Flagg said. "The basket feels big. Your teammates are looking out for you, helping you out. But I love to win. That was my main focus. It is hard for me to fully enjoy myself out there when we're down 20, down 10, down 15 for the majority of the game."
Flagg is averaging 20.8 points, 6.6 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.2 steals while shooting 47.2% from the field in 65 appearances. He is the first rookie with three or more 40-point performances since Allen Iverson, who registered five such games in the 1996-97 season.
The 6-foot-8 forward joined the Mavericks with tremendous hype and expectations as the top pick. While he is nearing the end of a historic rookie campaign, the organization is surely excited for his potential on and off the court.
"He plays the game the right way," Kidd said. "He loves the challenge, so when you look at him taking the floor, he has always delivered, and tonight was no different. To be able to have a 50-ball against a really good defensive team, it just shows he is getting better, and we're excited about that. We've talked about that pretty much this week: We have planted our flag, and we're really proud to have Cooper. We're excited about the present, but we're also excited about the future."
This article originally appeared on Rookie Wire: Mavericks news: Cooper Flagg joins 'rare air' with first 50-point game
Continue reading...
Flagg produced 51 points, six rebounds, three assists, three steals and one blocked shot in the 138-127 loss at the American Airlines Center. He finished by shooting 19-of-30 from the field, including a career-high six 3-pointers in 33 minutes of work.
The No. 1 overall pick is one of 10 first-year players to score 50 or more in a game and is just the third to do so since the NBA-ABA merger (1976-77). He is the youngest player and the only teenager in history to reach that mark (19 years, 104 days).
"He should be Rookie of the Year," Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said. "It is unbelievable. The country is not watching the same thing that we get to watch on a daily basis, the things that he has done. He is in rare air. He is with the GOAT when you talk about M.J. and what he did in his rookie year, and as a teenager."
Flagg surpassed his own record of 49 points for the most scored in a single game by a teenager in history, which, ironically, came against his top competitor for Rookie of the Year: Former Duke teammate and Charlotte Hornets guard Kon Knueppel.
The former All-American closed the gap in the race for the top rookie award, at least, according to most sportsbooks, after seeing his odds move to plus-225. But while that isn't something he is actively campaigning for, Flagg was pleased with his latest outburst.
"It is always fun getting into that type of mode," Flagg said. "The basket feels big. Your teammates are looking out for you, helping you out. But I love to win. That was my main focus. It is hard for me to fully enjoy myself out there when we're down 20, down 10, down 15 for the majority of the game."
Flagg is averaging 20.8 points, 6.6 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.2 steals while shooting 47.2% from the field in 65 appearances. He is the first rookie with three or more 40-point performances since Allen Iverson, who registered five such games in the 1996-97 season.
The 6-foot-8 forward joined the Mavericks with tremendous hype and expectations as the top pick. While he is nearing the end of a historic rookie campaign, the organization is surely excited for his potential on and off the court.
"He plays the game the right way," Kidd said. "He loves the challenge, so when you look at him taking the floor, he has always delivered, and tonight was no different. To be able to have a 50-ball against a really good defensive team, it just shows he is getting better, and we're excited about that. We've talked about that pretty much this week: We have planted our flag, and we're really proud to have Cooper. We're excited about the present, but we're also excited about the future."
This article originally appeared on Rookie Wire: Mavericks news: Cooper Flagg joins 'rare air' with first 50-point game
Continue reading...
