Cooper Flagg breaks 18 year old scoring mark as Mavericks edge Clippers in LA

Cooper Flagg crammed 2 milestones into 48 hours successful Los Angeles and, connected the 2nd night, dragged a patched-up Dallas Mavericks squad to a severely needed win. After mounting an NBA grounds for an 18-year-old with 11 assists successful Friday’s nonaccomplishment to the Lakers, helium followed up with 35 points successful a 114-110 triumph implicit the Clippers astatine the Intuit Dome, becoming the youngest subordinate ever to deed that mark.

"He's lone 18 years old, but helium seems similar he's been successful this league before," Mavs manager Jason Kidd said. "He did it each tonight. He had the ball. You tin telephone it constituent defender oregon whatever, but helium ran the discourtesy for us. He drove the ball. The shot touched the paint. He got to the rim, got to the escaped propulsion line, stepped up and made escaped throws for america late. Just his composure connected some ends [was impressive]. He competes astatine a precise precocious level. You saw that tonight, but you saw that past night, too."

Flagg attacked Ivica Zubac astatine the rim each night, punctuating his vocation precocious with a soaring two-hand dunk implicit the Clippers center. He went 13-of-22 from the field, piling up 8 rebounds and playing 38 minutes arsenic Dallas tried to past without a drawstring of injured starters.

"Being assertive close present is evidently close for me, and that's what Coach has stressed to me," Flagg said. "I've got to beryllium aggressive, and we'll unrecorded with immoderate of the mistakes, but you conscionable person to beryllium assertive and spot each the work. My teammates are highly assured successful me, and I consciousness that. And erstwhile they're assured successful me, it enables maine to conscionable beryllium escaped up there."

Veteran surge helps rookie decorativeness the job

Klay Thompson, 35 and warring done a dilatory commencement to his Dallas tenure, caught occurrence successful the 4th fourth to marque definite Flagg’s nighttime ended with a win. "Cooper's upside is limitless," Thompson said. "He has each instrumentality to beryllium great. Sometimes I can't judge helium should beryllium a freshman successful college."

Briefly listed arsenic retired with genu soreness earlier deciding to play, Thompson poured successful 17 of his 23 points successful the last play and buried a heavy 3 that enactment Dallas up for good. "It felt similar a relief," helium said. "I haven't changeable the shot good these archetypal 20 games, astatine slightest not to my standard. So erstwhile you person a nighttime similar that aft the pugnacious commencement we've had, it conscionable gives you alleviation to support going. It truly inspires maine to beryllium retired determination arsenic overmuch arsenic I can."

For a 6-15 squad missing Kyrie Irving and different cardinal pieces, Flagg’s emergence feels similar the 1 interruption that went Dallas’s way. "It's beauteous chill to beryllium a portion of it" Thompson said. "We each tin beryllium witnesses to what he's going to bash for a agelong time."