Cooper Flagg’s career best gets the Blue Devils roaring
Cooper Flagg made a career appearance in Dallas Mavericks‘ 118–115 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans, recording 29 points with seven rebounds and five assists. The 18-year-old became only the second teenager in NBA history to record at least 25 points, five rebounds and five assists in a game. joining LeBron James in that exclusive club.
Duke Men’s Basketball celebrated a milestone with a social media post captioned “29 career for Coop!” in addition to his highlights from the game. The Blue Devils have acknowledged the growth of their former star since his dominant freshman season that ended with a run to the Final Four and being named the National Player of the Year.
Flagg went 12-for-19 from the field while adding seven boards, five assists and two steals in 32 minutes. He struggled from distance, missing all four of his three-point attempts, but compensated by attacking the rim and making 5-of-6 free throws to maintain his efficiency.
The rookie saved his best work for crunch time, scoring 12 of his 29 points in the fourth quarter on 4-of-5 shooting. His ability to close out games has become a recurring theme, as he also helped Dallas secure an overtime win against Portland earlier this month with another score.
Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd praised Flagg’s composure after the game. He highlighted the rookie’s ability to find his spots on offense and make the right reads, whether he’s attacking himself or setting up teammates for open looks.
Dallas improved to 5–12 overall and secured its first NBA Cup victory, despite trailing by 14 points at halftime. Naji Marshall hit a 3-pointer for the lead with 30.7 seconds left and Max Christie sealed it with free throws, but Flagg’s consistent scoring kept the Mavericks within striking distance.
This performance topped all but two games since Flegg’s lone Duke basketball season, showing how quickly he is adapting to NBA competition. With three 20-plus point outings in his last six games, the No. 1 pick is making a strong case for Rookie of the Year honors.
2025-11-22 17:52:00
