For the second straight game, the Dallas Mavericks went down to the wire but ultimately fell 111–107 to the Houston Rockets, dropping to 19–30 on the season.
Despite the loss, rookie Cooper Flagg continues to shine. After scoring a career-high 49 points against the Charlotte Hornets on Thursday night — the most points ever scored by a teenager in a single NBA game — Flagg followed it up with another dominant performance.
In 38 minutes of action, Flagg finished with 34 points, 12 rebounds, and five assists, shooting 13-of-25 from the field and 7-of-10 from the free-throw line.
Following the game, the NBA announced that Flagg, at just 19 years old, became the youngest player in league history to record back-to-back games with 30-point double-doubles.
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However, for Flagg, it’s all about winning — something the Mavericks have struggled to do consistently this season. Still, head coach Jason Kidd acknowledged that Flagg’s mindset is exactly what will eventually lead to a championship sooner rather than later.
“He’s not about numbers. He’s about wins and losses… for a young man who thinks that way, he’s going to be a champion sooner rather than later,” Kidd said.
Flagg entered Saturday night averaging 19.8 points, 6.6 rebounds, 4.1 assists, and 1.2 steals per game, while shooting 48.4% from the field and 28.9% from beyond the arc.
He is firmly in the thick of the Rookie of the Year race, most notably alongside his former Duke teammate and roommate, Hornets guard Kon Knueppel.
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