Kon Knuppel wins his legendary duel with Cooper Flagg!

A dallaswe simply witnessed one of the most beautiful duels of newcomers in recent years with talent and uncertainty. Upon arrival, it is Knuppel could (34 points) who scored the winning basket for the Hornets, doc Cooper Flagg plants 49 points!

Tonight at the American Airlines Center had all the makings of a big event: a highly-anticipated matchup between two rookie stars from Duke, Cooper Flagg and Kon Knuepel, Mark Aguirre’s jersey retirement ceremony and a Dallas crowd ready to rock.

However, the match started very badly for Dallas. From the first quarter, Knuepel caught fire: he hit three 3-pointers in less than five minutes, followed by a fourth not long after, to the point where he almost single-handedly beat the Mavericks. Charlotte is rolling, while Dallas lacks energy and skill. Flagg, discreet, scores only two points, and the Mavs trail by 13 points after twelve minutes (33-20).

Everything changes in the second quarter. Flagg goes into boss mode: aggressive drives, a spectacular dunk on Moussa Diabate, then an And-1 on Brandon Miller. In less than five minutes, he scores 14 points and revives Dallas. The pace also picks up thanks to Ryan Nembhardt, who treats PJ Washington and Daniel Gafford to the alley-oop. Just before the break, Brandon Williams ended the acrobatic action with a foul: Dallas returned to the locker room with only 59-58 after overcoming a 13-point deficit.

Flagg’s franchise record

After a halftime extended with a tribute to Aguirre, the Flag-Knuepel duel continues with a vengeance. Flagg scored 15 points in the third quarter, but Knuepel responded immediately, making his sixth and seventh field goals to keep Charlotte ahead. In the time period of the quarter, Klay Thompson and then Caleb Martin hit two key 3-point shots: 93-93 before the final act.

Buoyed by this momentum, Dallas briefly took control early in the fourth quarter. Thompson continues, Williams scores in transition and the Mavs take the lead. But Charlotte responded during Flagg’s timeout with a 9-2 run. The two beginners go blow for blow: drives, hard shots, total composure. Flagg’s breakthrough gives him his 44th point and the Mavericks rookie scoring record, surpassing Aguirre. What a wink!

Epic finale!

The end of the match is unbearable. LaMelo Ball and Miller provide valuable support for Knuepel, while Max Christie finally comes out of his box to tie the score at 118-118 with a minute left. After a 3-pointer by Miller, Flagg responded with a huge long shot 34 seconds from the buzzer: tied 121-121.

In the last possession, everything changes. Knuepel intercepted Flagg’s pass near the halfway line. He goes on a counterattack, is stopped by a foul by Flega and makes his two free throws with 4.1 seconds left. Flagg’s desperation attempt at the buzzer bounced off the rim: Charlotte won 123-121.

Despite the loss, Flagg recorded a historic performance: 49 points, 10 rebounds, a new NBA record for a 19-year-old player. Knuepel collected 34 points and 8 three-pointers, thus recording the fifth consecutive victory of the Hornets. The first NBA matchup between the two former Duke partners delivered on all of its promises.

WHAT TO REMEMBER

5 out of 5. We can no longer stop the Hornets, who are coming off a fifth straight win, to follow the Bulls in the race for the 10th spot, which is synonymous with play.

Mark Aguirre honored. A former Mavericks first-round draft pick like Cooper Flagg, Aguirre became the 5th player in franchise history to have his jersey retired.

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How to read statistics? Min = Minute; Shots = Shots Successful / Shots Attempted; 3 points = 3 points / attempt 3 points; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; O = offensive rebound; D=defensive jump; T = Total number of jumps; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal mistakes; Int = intercepts; Bp = lost balls; Ct: Against; +/- = point difference when the player is on the court; Points = Points; Rating: player rating calculated based on positive actions – negative actions.