Cooper Flagg Drops 49 in Historic Night, But Kon Knueppel and Hornets Steal the Win
DALLAS - The rafters got their moment. So did Cooper Flagg. But when the buzzer sounded, it was Kon Knueppel and the Charlotte Hornets celebrating a statement win - and perhaps a shift in the Rookie of the Year conversation.
In a game that had everything from franchise history to future All-Star fireworks, the Mavericks honored Mark Aguirre by raising his No. 22 jersey to the rafters. Then Flagg, the latest face of the franchise, delivered a performance Aguirre himself would’ve admired - and then some.
Flagg poured in 49 points, setting a new Mavericks rookie record and breaking the NBA’s all-time scoring mark for a teenager, a record that had stood for 46 years. He added 10 rebounds, shot a blistering 20-of-29 from the field, and looked every bit the offensive engine Dallas hoped he’d become. He attacked from all over - midrange, downhill, from deep - and carried the Mavericks possession after possession.
But the night didn’t belong to him alone.
Across the court was Kon Knueppel, Flagg’s former Duke roommate and now a rising star in Charlotte’s rebuild. Knueppel answered with 34 points of his own, knocking down 8-of-12 from three and delivering the game’s decisive play - a late-game steal and two clutch free throws that sealed Charlotte’s 123-121 win.
It was the kind of back-and-forth battle that felt bigger than a January game between two sub-.500 teams. This was a showcase - two rookies who know each other’s games inside and out, pushing each other to the limit on a night that felt like a preview of future playoff duels.
And fittingly, it came with symmetry. Aguirre, the Mavs’ first-ever No. 1 pick, was in the building as Flagg passed him on the team’s rookie scoring list. The torch was passed - but the win slipped away.
A Duel With History and Heart
The final minute told the story.
With the game tied at 118, LaMelo Ball buried a wide-open three to put Charlotte ahead. Flagg responded with his third triple of the night, tying it again at 121 with just over 30 seconds left. Dallas forced a miss on the other end, and it looked like Flagg might get the last word.
Instead, Knueppel jumped a passing lane, picked off Flagg’s outlet, and drew a foul in transition. With 4.1 seconds left, he calmly knocked down both free throws. Flagg had one last look, but his off-balance runner missed at the horn.
Afterward, Flagg reflected on the moment - not just the numbers, but the connection.
“It’s incredible,” Flagg said. “It’s pretty well known he was my roommate last year.
To have a night like this with him - I know how special he is and how hard he works. Ten-plus years down the road, we’ll both look back on this as a pretty special thing.
We’ll both be in this league a long time. That’s my brother for life.”
He added that the familiarity only fueled the fire.
“It’s incredible, I wouldn’t want to be in any other position,” he said. “We’ll both be looking back on this night and this whole year for the rest of our lives. It’s just special to have this opportunity.”
Knueppel echoed the sentiment - and made it clear that the win mattered most.
“It’s fun,” he said. “Obviously, he’s really good.
He was the best player on the floor tonight. It’s fun competing against the best, and being close with him adds to the competitiveness.”
On the decisive steal, Knueppel said it was all about urgency.
“Just trying to get it out of Coop’s hands at the end, because he had 49 points,” he said. “It was a crazy ending to a phenomenal game.”
Kidd on Flagg: “You Saw History”
Mavs head coach Jason Kidd wasn’t about to let the loss overshadow what Flagg accomplished.
“You saw history,” Kidd said. “You saw history at halftime and got to see a young man play the game at a very high level. Having Mark in the building to break his record is pretty special.”
Kidd also explained his decision not to challenge the late foul call on Flagg.
“Great game as a player or coach or a fan to be a part of,” Kidd said. “A lot of good basketball down the stretch.
Our group competed and found a way to get back into the game. Cooper was incredible.
… He made a big three. Is it a foul or is it a block?
The referee calls it a foul. I got one timeout left.
If I take it and I’m wrong, we’re down four seconds and we’ve got to take it the length of the court.”
A Glimpse Into the Future
Flagg’s 49-point outing wasn’t just a record-breaker - it was a reminder of the star he’s rapidly becoming. He’s already shown flashes of elite shot creation, rebounding instincts, and leadership beyond his years. Thursday night was a full display of all of it - against the one player who probably knows him best.
Knueppel, meanwhile, continues to look like the perfect piece for Charlotte’s future. His shooting, poise, and defensive instincts are ahead of schedule, and his chemistry with LaMelo Ball is starting to click. The Hornets have now won five straight, improving to 21-28, while Dallas has dropped three in a row, falling to 19-29.
But win-loss records felt secondary on this night. What mattered was the moment - two rookies, two friends, two future stars, going toe-to-toe in a game that felt like a chapter in something much bigger.
Rookie of the Year? That’ll be decided later. But Thursday night made one thing clear: Cooper Flagg and Kon Knueppel aren’t just part of the next generation - they’re already shaping it.