Knueppel and Hornets defeat Flagg and Mavericks in rookie matchup
DALLAS — This was a night Cooper Flagg believes he will reminisce about with his Duke roommate Kon Knueppel for many years to come.
This sentiment likely resonates with nearly everyone present at the American Airlines Center who experienced the exhilarating showdown Thursday night in the inaugural NBA matchup between the leading candidates for Rookie of the Year.
Flagg, the top overall selection, scored 49 points, setting a record for the most points by a teenager in NBA history, surpassing the rookie record he previously shared with Mark Aguirre, whose No. 24 jersey was retired during a halftime ceremony in the game.
Conversely, Knueppel, the fourth overall pick, contributed 34 points and executed crucial plays in the closing moments, enabling the Charlotte Hornets to secure a 123-121 victory, marking their fifth consecutive win. He forced a turnover from Flagg with 7.6 seconds left and converted the game-winning free throws after drawing a foul on his friend during a fast break.
Flagg’s contested jumper hit the back of the rim as time expired.
“Just a wild conclusion to an incredible game,” Knueppel remarked. “He was the standout player on the court tonight. Probably, I mean, that’s the best player we’ve faced all season. Competing against the best is enjoyable, and being close with him adds to the competitiveness. So it was really enjoyable.”
Flagg (-400) and Knueppel (+280) entered the evening with the highest odds for Rookie of the Year, according to DraftKings, generating a distinct excitement around a late-January contest between two teams positioned below the play-in threshold in their respective conference standings. They exceeded expectations by becoming the first duo of college teammates to each score at least 30 points while facing each other as rookies.
As per ESPN Research, their combined total of 83 points marks the highest by a pair of rookies in a single game since Tiny Archibald and Pete Maravich combined for 91 points in 1971.
“It’s amazing,” Flagg stated regarding competing against his college roommate for Rookie of the Year. “I wouldn’t want to be in any other situation. We’ll both reflect on this night and this entire year for the rest of our lives, and we’ll be discussing it and things like that. It’s just so special to have this opportunity overall.”
Knueppel believes his chances of winning that accolade may have diminished slightly due to Flagg’s record-breaking performance.
“We’d both like to win, but we don’t discuss it,” Knueppel noted, who is averaging 18.9 points with an effective field goal percentage of 61.1%, the highest efficiency ever recorded by a rookie scoring at that level. “I mean, this was an incredible game. I think he’s probably going to surpass me with 49 and 10 [rebounds], but it is what it is. An award like that is nice, but whoever receives it, I’ll be happy for him. Who knows? I’m just pleased we secured the win. That matters more to me than anything else.”
Knueppel, who shot 10-of-16 from the field, established a Hornets franchise rookie record with eight 3-pointers on 12 attempts. He began the game strong, sinking his first three long-range shots within the opening four-plus minutes.
“It’s not good,” Flagg recalled his thoughts as Knueppel started off hot. “I played with him last year, and when he sees some easy shots go in early, it’s never a good sign. That’s the case with many great shooters. You never want to allow him to take open shots and find his rhythm at the start of a game.”
Flagg, who surpassed Knueppel as the rookie scoring leader at 19.5 points per game, found his groove in the second quarter with 23 points. He reached 40 points by the end of the third, joining LeBron James and Anthony Edwards as the only teenagers in NBA history to achieve multiple 40-point games.
The stage was set for Flagg to conclude his remarkable performance in a storybook manner after he made a game-tying pull-up 3 with 33.5 seconds remaining and secured a defensive rebound on the following possession. However, the Hornets devised a strategy to prevent Flagg from becoming the hero, doubling him to force the ball out of his hands as he dribbled several feet beyond the 3-point line. Knueppel executed his double-team effectively, deflecting Flagg’s pass, and their fellow former Duke teammate Sion James saved the ball to Knueppel to initiate a fast break.
“By no surprise, our guy ends up making the most significant play of the game down the stretch and continues to impact winning,” said Hornets coach Charles Lee, who commended Knueppel’s defensive performance before the game. “[He had] the instincts to come and double team, recognizing a situation where the floor was balanced in a way that made it the right moment to bring a double. A player has 49 points, so you want to try to slow him down, obviously, and make someone else beat you at that point in the game.”
Flagg, the youngest player in the league at 19, took responsibility for the lack of execution with the game on the line.
“I’m still trying to learn end-of-game situations,” Flagg admitted, who exchanged jerseys postgame with Hornets rookie Liam McNeeley, his high school teammate at Montverde Academy. “I’m always striving to improve. That’s something, I don’t want to say I struggle with, but I have encountered numerous double teams and such, so just figuring out how I can be effective in those moments. It has to be significantly better.”
Flagg concluded the game shooting 20-of-29 from the field, becoming the first rookie to achieve at least 20 field goals since Milwaukee’s Brandon Jennings had 21 in his 55-point outing in November 2009. Flagg was 3-of-5 from beyond the arc, but most of his scoring came in the paint, where he tallied 28 points.
“He’s not focused on numbers. He’s focused on wins and losses,” Mavs coach Jason Kidd stated. “That’s his character. For a young man who thinks that way, he’s going to be a champion sooner rather than later. He continues to work hard. He tried to will his team to victory tonight.”
