SALT LAKE CITY — Cooper Flagg scored the most points by an 18-year-old in NBA history, but he couldn't enjoy the achievement because it came in a loss.
Flagg scored 42 points, surpassing the previous mark of 37 set by LeBron James on Dec. 13, 2003, in a 140-133 loss to the Utah Jazz on Monday night.
“Obviously we didn't win. So it's hard for me to want to be happy, or anything, but obviously it's a success,” said Flagg, who had an ice pack on his ankle after spraining it at the end of regulation.
Flagg, who turns 19 on Sunday, had 7 rebounds and 6 assists, as well as 2 blocks and a steal in an early career performance from the first pick. He is the third teenager in NBA history with at least 40 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists, joining LeBron James and Kevin Durant.
“The more time he's on the court, the more he sees, the better he gets. He showed it all tonight,” Dallas coach Jason Kidd said.
Flagg has been playing his best basketball in recent weeks, as the No. 1 overall draft pick has averaged 25.7 points over the last seven games. He's also playing aggressive enough to get to the line and was 15-for-20 against Utah.
“He's come a long way since the start of the season, so I'm proud of that fourth quarter,” Flagg said. “It's a new game… but I'm getting more comfortable… and I'm adapting, honestly, by being myself and letting the game come to me.”
He scored 12 points in the fourth quarter and made a smart play to send the game into overtime when he purposely missed a free throw with such a big carom that teammate Max Christie grabbed the rebound with 3.9 seconds left and was fouled.
With Anthony Davis out and Dallas without several other teammates due to injuries, this game may be a harbinger of things to come as Flagg becomes a centerpiece of the Mavericks' offense.
“We were going to Coop. He was killing them the whole game, so they finally tried to double him.” PJ Washington said. “I'm not surprised at all. I know exactly what he's capable of. He's a special player, so there will be a lot more to come.”
Flagg also tied Mark Aguirre for the most points by a rookie in Mavs history as he begins to make his mark on the franchise. But he couldn't stop thinking about what he could have done to achieve victory despite the pain in his ankle. The Jazz went on a late 11-0 run and then dominated in overtime when Flagg didn't score a single basket in overtime.
“I've got to get better. I had a couple dumb turnovers, I missed a couple easy ones, but I've got to get better, executing down the stretch that way,” Flagg said.
Setting records can be good, but Flagg feels that means he is constantly improving and that has been his goal all season.
“I'm not really focused on a lot of those things (the records). I'm more focused on being present, day by day, and trying to get better and get our team as many wins as we can,” Flagg said.
The Associated Press and ESPN Research contributed to this report.
