There is no question that Cooper Flagg is pushing through what has been a rewarding but grueling rookie season. However, on Friday night, he etched his place in NBA history by becoming the youngest NBA player to score 50+ points in a game.
It came in the fourth quarter of the Dallas Mavericks' game against the Orlando Magic, per ClutchPoints. The moment came with 2:05 left on the clock and the Mavericks trailing 136-125. Nevertheless, the hometown crowd gave Flagg a standing ovation. Along the way, he surpassed Brandon Jennings at 20 years, 52 days old.
COOPER FLAGG HAS HIS FIRST 50-POINT GAME IN THE NBA‼️
He's the youngest player in NBA history with 50 points in a game. The previous youngest was Brandon Jennings at 20 years, 52 days old.pic.twitter.com/GRmjCUsLrp
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) April 4, 2026
His last high-scoring game was 49 points against the Charlotte Hornets, per Marc Stein of The Stein Report. Ironically, it was a game in which the Mavericks lost.
Fast forward: the Magic defeated the Mavericks 138-127. But Flagg finished with 51 points along with six rebounds and three assists. Additionally, he shot 19-for-30 from the field, 6-for-9 from beyond the arc, and 7-for-7 at the free-throw line.
As a result, the Mavericks are now 24-53 with five games left in the regular season.
Overall, Flagg has played in 64 games so far and is averaging 20.8 points and 6.6 rebounds per game. He is the leading scorer for all rookies. Clearly, Flagg is the top contender to go for the coveted Rookie of the Year honors. He is duking it out with his fellow Duke alum Kon Knueppel of the Charlotte Hornets.
Needless to say, Flagg has experienced a record-setting rookie season. He was the Western Conference Rookie of the Month for three consecutive months from November to January.
