On Thursday night, the Dallas Mavericks played the Charlotte Hornets (at home) in Texas.
The Mavs lost by a score of 123-121.
Despite the loss, Cooper Flagg finished with 49 points, ten rebounds, three assists and one block while shooting 20/29 from the field and 3/5 from three-point range in 38 minutes of playing time.
NBA World Reacts To Cooper Flagg’s 49-Point Explosion
Here’s what people were saying about Flagg:
@ESPNInsights: “23 PTS IN THE 2ND QTR 😤 At 19 years old Cooper Flagg is the youngest player in the play-by-play era to score 20+ PTS in a single quarter 🤯”
23 PTS IN THE 2ND QTR 😤
At 19 years old Cooper Flagg is the youngest player in the play-by-play era to score 20+ PTS in a single quarter 🤯 pic.twitter.com/V0QyxGuB5p
— ESPN Insights (@ESPNInsights) January 30, 2026
@LegendOfWinning: “Not enough is being said about Cooper Flagg. He is clearly one of the best rookies in the last 20 years.”
Bleacher Report: “COOPER FLAGG INSANE POSTER 😱🤯”
COOPER FLAGG INSANE POSTER 😱🤯 pic.twitter.com/BPRdmXArJq
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) January 30, 2026
@TheHoopCentral: “COOPER FLAGG TONIGHT: 49 POINTS 10 REBOUNDS 3 ASSISTS 69% FG 38 MINUTES ONLY 19 YEARS OLD. 🤯🤯🤯”
Underdog NBA: “Cooper Flagg in his first game vs. Kon Knueppel: 49 PTS (most by a teenager in NBA history) 20-29 FG 10 REB …and lost, with Knueppel hitting game-winning free throws with 4.1 seconds left: 34 PTS 10-16 FG 8-12 3PT One shy of tying the all-time rookie 3s record.”
Cooper Flagg in his first game vs. Kon Knueppel:
49 PTS (most by a teenager in NBA history)
20-29 FG
10 REB…and lost, with Knueppel hitting game-winning free throws with 4.1 seconds left:
34 PTS
10-16 FG
8-12 3PTOne shy of tying the all-time rookie 3s record. pic.twitter.com/OmkC6ETuZD
— Underdog NBA (@UnderdogNBA) January 30, 2026
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Flagg had come into the night with averages of 18.8 points, 6.4 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 1.3 steals per contest while shooting 47.3% from the field and 28.0% from three-point range in 43 games.
He is in his first season playing for the Mavs after being selected with the first pick in the 2025 NBA Draft out of Duke.
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With their loss to the Hornets, the Mavs dropped to 19-29 in 48 games, which has them as the 12th seed in the Western Conference.
They are in the middle of a three-game losing streak (and 5-5 over their last ten).
Following the Rockets, the Mavs will visit the Houston Rockets on Saturday.
Cooper Flagg just had the most points in a game by a teenager in NBA history. pic.twitter.com/Bu8eQAECrO
— Real App (@realapp) January 30, 2026
As for the Hornets, they improved to 21-28 in 49 games, which has them as the 11th seed in the Eastern Conference.
They are in the middle of a five-game winning streak.
Following Dallas, the Hornets will play their next game on Saturday when they host the San Antonio Spurs.
