JAKARTA - Dallas Mavericks rookie Cooper Flagg has officially made history as the youngest player in the history of the National Basketball Association (NBA) competition to score 50 points in a game.
The achievement was carved in the continuation of the 2025-2026 NBA competition match against the Orlando Magic at the American Airlines Center, Dallas, Texas, United States, on Friday local time or Saturday, April 4, 2026 Indonesian time.
Unfortunately, Flagg's brilliant performance ended with Maverick's defeat at home with a final score of 127-138. It was the 53rd defeat in the competition calendar this season, which made them still struggling at the bottom of the Western Conference standings.
"It's always nice to get into that kind of rhythm. The ring feels bigger. Teammates are watching you, helping you. But I want to win. So, that's my main focus," Flagg said after the match, quoted by ESPN.
The crowd's cheers could be heard when assistant coach Frank Vogel pulled Flagg out in the third quarter when the Mavericks were 17 points behind the opponent. The home crowd wanted the young player to stay in the game because he only needed five more points to make history as the youngest player to score 50 points in the NBA.
Flagg then returned to the court and managed to meet the expectations of the audience. He scored the 50th point through a difficult shot plus one before finally closing the match with a total of 51 points from 19 shots in from 30 attempts.
The record broke his personal record as an NBA teenager after previously scoring 49 points in a loss to the Charlotte Hornets in January.
Tension occurred in the fourth quarter when the referee did not blow the whistle even though Flagg was pushed by Desmond Bane. He then made a loud protest so that he received a technical foul, followed by coach Jason Kidd who was kicked out of the field along with several other Mavericks players.
Kidd assessed that his harsh reaction to the referee was necessary to defend his players. He even chose to watch the rest of the match from the locker room with several other players who could not continue the match.
"We are a family. We have to protect each other and understand that the way this match was led by the referee was below standard," Kidd said in response to his reaction to the referee team's performance.
Despite losing, Flagg made history as the ninth rookie to score 50 points in an NBA game. At 19 years 103 days old, he became the youngest to surpass the previous record held by Brandon Jennings.
Flagg also matched a rare achievement by recording several 45-point games as a rookie, on par with NBA legend Michael Jordan. His performance made many parties think he deserved to be Rookie of the Year.
To get this award, Flagg is still competing closely with Kon Knueppel who has been consistent with the Charlotte Hornets. Knueppel even leads in the polls while thanks to a stable contribution throughout the season.
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