Cooper Flagg continues to make NBA history in his rookie season.The 19-year-old from Newport, Maine, scored a career-high 49 points for the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday against the Charlotte Hornets, setting the record for most points scored by a teenager in an NBA game. Cliff Robinson set the previous record of 45 at age 19 on March 9, 1980.Flagg set career highs with 20 field goals on 29 shots. His 49 points were the most by a rookie since Trae Young scored 49 on March 1, 2019.He also broke the Mavericks’ rookie single-game scoring record of 42, which was held by Mark Aguirre, who had his No. 24 retired by the Mavs at halftime of the game. Flagg had tied Aguirre’s record on Dec. 15, 2025, and became the youngest player to score 40 points in an NBA game in the process.Flagg also finished with 10 rebounds, becoming the youngest player in NBA history to finish with 40 or more points and 10 or more rebounds in a game.The NBA single-game rookie scoring record is held by Hall of Famer Wilt Chamberlain, who scored 58 on Feb. 21, 1960.The Mavericks lost to the Hornets 123-121. Charlotte rookie Kon Knueppel scored a career-high 34 points on 10 of 16 shooting, including 8 of 12 from 3-point territory. Knueppel’s eight 3-pointers are the most made in a game by a Hornets rookie.Flagg and Knueppel were teammates and roommates at Duke University a year ago and led the Blue Devils to the Final Four. The Mavericks selected Flagg No. 1 overall in the 2025 NBA draft, while the Hornets drafted Knueppel with the 4th overall pick.Thursday marked the first time they faced each other in the NBA.”Ten-plus years down the road, I think we’ll both be looking back on this as a pretty special thing. I know we’ll both be in this league for a long time,” Flagg said after the game. “That’s my brother for life and I’ve got really high praise for him and what he can do.”The NBA said Flagg and Knueppel are the first pair of opposing rookies who went to the same college to score 30 or points in the same game. Their combined 83 points are the most scored by any two opposing rookies in over 50 years.Flagg went just 1 of 4 from the field in the first quarter, but he made 8 of 9 shots in the second quarter — including a monster dunk. He had 25 points at the half and went 11 of 16 from the field for 24 points in the second half.In his postgame press conference, Knueppel simply used two words to describe Flagg’s performance: “In control.”Flagg and Knueppel have been the two front runners for the NBA Rookie of the Year award. Both players have opened the season by winning back-to-back Rookie of the Month awards in their respective conferences.After the game, Flagg swapped jerseys with his former high school teammate, Liam McNeeley, who did not play for the Hornets. McNeeley, drafted 29th overall in 2025 out of UConn, played with Cooper and Ace Flagg at Florida’s Montverde Academy. The trio, along with fellow 2025 first-round picks Derik Queen and Asa Newell, led Montverde to a 33-0 record and a national championship during the 2023-24 season.Maine connections in Mavericks-Hornets gameSeveral members of the Hornets organization have ties to Flagg’s home state of Maine.Nik Caner-Medley, a star for Portland’s Deering High School who had a lengthy professional career in Europe, is in his second season as a professional scout for the Hornets.Hornets assistant coach Josh Longstaff is a Portland native who was a four-year letterman at Bryant University after graduating from Portland High School. Longstaff has been an assistant coach in the NBA for 15 seasons.Before the game, Flagg and his personal trainer Matt MacKenzie, of RESULTS Basketball in Veazie, Maine, took a photo with Caner-Medley and Longstaff.Hornets majority and co-chairman Gabe Plotkin was born and raised in Portland, Maine. Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

PORTLAND, Maine —

Cooper Flagg continues to make NBA history in his rookie season.

The 19-year-old from Newport, Maine, scored a career-high 49 points for the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday against the Charlotte Hornets, setting the record for most points scored by a teenager in an NBA game. Cliff Robinson set the previous record of 45 at age 19 on March 9, 1980.

Flagg set career highs with 20 field goals on 29 shots. His 49 points were the most by a rookie since Trae Young scored 49 on March 1, 2019.

He also broke the Mavericks’ rookie single-game scoring record of 42, which was held by Mark Aguirre, who had his No. 24 retired by the Mavs at halftime of the game. Flagg had tied Aguirre’s record on Dec. 15, 2025, and became the youngest player to score 40 points in an NBA game in the process.

Flagg also finished with 10 rebounds, becoming the youngest player in NBA history to finish with 40 or more points and 10 or more rebounds in a game.

The NBA single-game rookie scoring record is held by Hall of Famer Wilt Chamberlain, who scored 58 on Feb. 21, 1960.

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The Mavericks lost to the Hornets 123-121. Charlotte rookie Kon Knueppel scored a career-high 34 points on 10 of 16 shooting, including 8 of 12 from 3-point territory. Knueppel’s eight 3-pointers are the most made in a game by a Hornets rookie.

Flagg and Knueppel were teammates and roommates at Duke University a year ago and led the Blue Devils to the Final Four. The Mavericks selected Flagg No. 1 overall in the 2025 NBA draft, while the Hornets drafted Knueppel with the 4th overall pick.

Thursday marked the first time they faced each other in the NBA.

“Ten-plus years down the road, I think we’ll both be looking back on this as a pretty special thing. I know we’ll both be in this league for a long time,” Flagg said after the game. “That’s my brother for life and I’ve got really high praise for him and what he can do.”

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The former college roommates delivered an EPIC DUEL in Dallas 🤯

Cooper Flagg: 49 PTS (career-high, most-ever by a teen), 10 REB, 20-29 FGM

Kon Knueppel: 34 PTS (career-high), 4 REB, 8 3PM (new franchise rookie record), 10-16 FGM pic.twitter.com/J081u6J6os

— NBA (@NBA) January 30, 2026

The NBA said Flagg and Knueppel are the first pair of opposing rookies who went to the same college to score 30 or points in the same game. Their combined 83 points are the most scored by any two opposing rookies in over 50 years.

Flagg went just 1 of 4 from the field in the first quarter, but he made 8 of 9 shots in the second quarter — including a monster dunk. He had 25 points at the half and went 11 of 16 from the field for 24 points in the second half.

In his postgame press conference, Knueppel simply used two words to describe Flagg’s performance: “In control.”

This content is imported from Twitter.
You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.

Flagg and Knueppel have been the two front runners for the NBA Rookie of the Year award. Both players have opened the season by winning back-to-back Rookie of the Month awards in their respective conferences.

After the game, Flagg swapped jerseys with his former high school teammate, Liam McNeeley, who did not play for the Hornets. McNeeley, drafted 29th overall in 2025 out of UConn, played with Cooper and Ace Flagg at Florida’s Montverde Academy. The trio, along with fellow 2025 first-round picks Derik Queen and Asa Newell, led Montverde to a 33-0 record and a national championship during the 2023-24 season.

This content is imported from Twitter.
You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.

Maine connections in Mavericks-Hornets game

Several members of the Hornets organization have ties to Flagg’s home state of Maine.

Nik Caner-Medley, a star for Portland’s Deering High School who had a lengthy professional career in Europe, is in his second season as a professional scout for the Hornets.

Hornets assistant coach Josh Longstaff is a Portland native who was a four-year letterman at Bryant University after graduating from Portland High School. Longstaff has been an assistant coach in the NBA for 15 seasons.

Before the game, Flagg and his personal trainer Matt MacKenzie, of RESULTS Basketball in Veazie, Maine, took a photo with Caner-Medley and Longstaff.

Dallas Mavericks player Cooper Flagg (second from left) and his trainer, Matt MacKenzie (far left), posed for a photo with Charlotte Hornets professional scout Nik Caner-Medley (second from right) and Hornets assistant coach Josh Longstaff before the Mavericks played the Hornets in Dallas on Jan. 29, 2026. All four men are Maine natives.

Nik Caner-Medley

Dallas Mavericks player Cooper Flagg (second from left) and his trainer, Matt MacKenzie (far left), posed for a photo with Charlotte Hornets professional scout Nik Caner-Medley (second from right) and Hornets assistant coach Josh Longstaff before the Mavericks played the Hornets in Dallas on Jan. 29, 2026. All four men are Maine natives.

Hornets majority and co-chairman Gabe Plotkin was born and raised in Portland, Maine.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.