Cooper Flagg just put together the most dominant 48-hour scoring stretch by a rookie in decades.
The Dallas Mavericks forward followed up a record-breaking performance on Friday by going toe-to-toe with LeBron James on Sunday night, dropping 45 points to lead Dallas to a 134-128 home victory over the Los Angeles Lakers.
Cooper Flagg Continues to Impress with Historic Scoring Tear
Just two days before beating the Lakers, Flagg torched the Orlando Magic for 51 points, becoming the youngest player in NBA history to score 50 or more points in a single game. The 19-year-old continued his red-hot run against Los Angeles.
Flagg shot with confidence all night, adding 8 rebounds and 9 assists to complement his 45-point total. The outburst made him the first rookie to record consecutive 40-point games since Allen Iverson during the 1996-97 season.
Sunday night delivered another memorable storyline, too. With 41-year-old James scoring 30 points and Flagg dropping 45 points, the two stars put on an unprecedented cross-generational scoring clinic.
After the game, the Mavs rookie discussed his progress with NBC Sports reporter Ashley ShahAhmadi.
“Yeah, it was a special night. Obviously, we did get the win. But looking back, you know it was my rookie year, [and] I’ve been able to put up a performance like that, so it’s definitely a special night,” Flagg said.
“I think I’ve gotten better all year long, in a lot of different areas.”
Cooper Flagg talks with Ashley ShahAhmadi about his 50 point night, his rookie year as a whole and the Rookie of the Year race. pic.twitter.com/vEsQf4rv3k
— NBA on NBC and Peacock (@NBAonNBC) April 5, 2026
When asked about which areas he felt he’d grown the most, the youngster said, “I think just being confident. Being comfortable out there. I think I’ve gotten better all year long in a lot of different areas. So, I’m really happy with that and how far I’ve come in just being more comfortable and confident.”
While the Mavericks have struggled to string wins together this season, Flagg has given Dallas fans every reason to tune in. Averaging 21.1 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 4.6 assists per game through 66 appearances, he has consistently shown growth as a primary creator and a relentless rim attacker.
In a Lakers side missing Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves, Luke Kennard stepped up with his first career triple-double, logging 15 points, 16 rebounds, and 11 assists in 41 minutes. But even with James orchestrating the offense, Los Angeles had no answer for the Mavericks’ rookie phenom on the other end of the floor.
For a Dallas team holding a 25-53 record and out of playoff contention, Flagg is one of the only positives to take from this season as it looks to rebuild around the No. 1 pick.
