Cooper Flagg Says It Was Hard to 'Fully Enjoy' Historic 51-Point Game in Mavs' Loss to Magic
Dallas Mavericks rookie Cooper Flagg had yet another historic performance with 51 points on Friday night, but he struggled to fully appreciate his own accomplishment because it came in a 138-127 loss to the Orlando Magic.
Flagg told reporters after the game that it was hard for him to "fully enjoy" the first 50-point game of his career due to the final outcome:
"It's always fun getting into that type of mode. The basket feels big. Your teammates are looking out for you, helping you out. But I love to win, so that was my main focus. It's hard for me to fully enjoy myself out there when we're down 20, down 10, down 15 for the majority of the game."
Flagg became the youngest player in NBA history to score at least 50 points in a game. He broke his own record for most points by a teenager, previously scoring 49 on Jan. 29 against the Charlotte Hornets.
Friday's game saw Flagg get better as it went on. He played well early with 13 points in the first half, but he hit another level in the second half with 38 points in 17 minutes.
There have been 12 games in NBA history in which a teenager scored at least 40 points. Flagg has the top two and three of the top six. LeBron James is the only other player with at least three 40-point games before turning 20.
Flagg, who is averaging 20.8 points per game for the season, is on the cusp of becoming the fifth teenager to average at least 20 points as a rookie. James, Luka Dončić, Carmelo Anthony and Kevin Durant are the other names on that list.
Despite the individual success for Flagg, the Mavs are limping to the finish line. They have lost three straight games and 27 of 32 games since Jan. 24. Their 53 losses are their most in a season since 2017-18.
Flagg and the Mavericks will host the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday at 7:30 p.m. ET.
