Newcomer Cooper Flagg scores 51 points in Mavericks’ defeat.
Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg has made history as the youngest player ever in the NBA to achieve a 50-point game, scoring 51 points in a 138-127 defeat at home against the Orlando Magic on Friday.
At 19 years and 103 days old, Flagg was momentarily taken out late in the fourth quarter with 45 points by assistant coach Frank Vogel, who was substituting for the ejected head coach Jason Kidd.
Upon his return, Flagg connected on a corner 3-pointer, then secured his 50th point with a basket and a foul, successfully converting the free throw before exiting the game to a standing ovation. He concluded the game with 24 points in the fourth quarter.
Flagg shot 19-for-30 from the field, including 6-of-9 from beyond the arc, and converted all seven of his free throw attempts.
He is the ninth rookie to score 50 or more points in a single game and the first to accomplish this feat since Brandon Jennings recorded 55 points during the 2009-10 season, as noted by ESPN Research.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
