Rookie sensation Cooper Flagg shattered records with 49 points, but a former Duke roommate stole the show, spoiling a historic night for the Mavericks.
DALLAS — The rafters filled first, the record book followed, and the finish broke Dallas’ heart. The Dallas Mavericks honored franchise icon Mark Aguirre by raising his No. 22 to the rafters, then watched rookie sensation Cooper Flagg deliver one of the most extraordinary performances in team history. What Dallas did not get was the win.
The Charlotte Hornets escaped with a 123–121 victory Thursday after Kon Knueppel knocked down two free throws with 4.1 seconds left, capping a duel between former Duke roommates that felt every bit like a Rookie of the Year showcase.
Flagg poured in a Mavericks rookie-record 49 points, eclipsing the 42-point mark previously shared by himself and Aguirre. In the process, he broke a 46-year-old NBA record held by Cliff Robinson for the most points by a teenager. He added 10 rebounds and shot 20-of-29 from the floor, attacking from every level and carrying Dallas possession by possession.
Knueppel countered with 34 points, burying eight 3-pointers on 12 attempts and repeatedly punishing late rotations. The Hornets won their fifth straight game, improving to 21–28, while the Mavericks dropped their third in a row to fall to 19–29.
The night carried unusual symmetry. Aguirre, the franchise’s first No. 1 overall pick, was in the building as Flagg passed him atop the rookie scoring list. At the same time, Flagg’s most memorable NBA performance came against the teammate who knows him best.
Afterward, Flagg reflected on sharing such a night with Knueppel, his former Duke roommate.
“It’s incredible,” Flagg said. “It’s pretty well known he was my roommate last year. To have a night like this with him — I know how special he is and how hard he works. Ten-plus years down the road, we’ll both look back on this as a pretty special thing. We’ll both be in this league a long time. That’s my brother for life.”
He later added that the personal connection only sharpened the competition.
“It’s incredible, I wouldn’t want to be in any other position,” Flagg said. “We’ll both be looking back on this night and this whole year for the rest of our lives. It’s just special to have this opportunity.”
The game’s final minute distilled the entire evening. After the teams traded baskets, LaMelo Ball drilled a wide-open three for Charlotte. Flagg answered with his own triple — his third of the night — tying the game at 121 with 33 seconds left.
Dallas forced a miss on the other end, but Flagg’s attempted pass was picked off by Knueppel, forcing Flagg to foul on the breakaway. Knueppel calmly converted both free throws, and Flagg’s off-balance attempt at the buzzer missed.
Mavericks coach Jason Kidd praised the competitiveness of the game while explaining why he did not challenge the late call.
“Great game as a player or coach or a fan to be a part of,” Kidd said. “A lot of good basketball down the stretch. Our group competed and found a way to get back into the game. Cooper was incredible. … He made a big three. Is it a foul or is it a block? The referee calls it a foul. I got one timeout left. If I take it and I’m wrong, we’re down four seconds and we’ve got to take it the length of the court.”
Kidd later emphasized the historical weight of the night.
“You saw history,” he said. “You saw history at halftime and got to see a young man play the game at a very high level. Having Mark in the building to break his record is pretty special.”
Knueppel, who has quickly become the face of Charlotte’s rebuild, framed the night through the lens of winning.
“It’s fun,” Knueppel said. “Obviously, he’s really good. He was the best player on the floor tonight. It’s fun competing against the best, and being close with him adds to the competitiveness.”
Asked about the decisive defensive play late, Knueppel pointed to urgency and anticipation.
“Just trying to get it out of Coop’s hands at the end, because he had 49 points,” he said. “It was a crazy ending to a phenomenal game.”
The buildup was muted — both teams were on the second night of a back-to-back — but the result was anything but ordinary. Two elite rookies, former college roommates, and a retired jersey hanging overhead combined for one of the most memorable nights of Dallas’ season.
Rookie of the Year may not have been decided Thursday. What was clear is that both Flagg and Knueppel are racing toward something much bigger — and the league was better for watching them collide.