Cooper Flagg Makes History, but Jazz Outlast Mavericks in Overtime Thriller
On a night that saw Cooper Flagg etch his name into the NBA record books, it was the Utah Jazz who walked away with the win-and maybe the bigger statement.
Flagg, the 18-year-old phenom and No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 draft, dropped a career-high 42 points for the Dallas Mavericks, becoming the highest-scoring 18-year-old in league history. Yes, that means he just passed LeBron James. Add in seven rebounds, six assists, two blocks and a steal, and you’ve got a stat line that would make even seasoned vets nod in appreciation.
But while Flagg was lighting it up, the Jazz were quietly putting together one of their gutsiest performances of the season-one that ended in a 140-133 overtime win at the Delta Center.
A Shorthanded Jazz Squad Steps Up
Utah came into the night without several key veterans-Jusuf Nurkic, Kevin Love, and Svi Mykhailiuk all sat out, leaving the Jazz without a traditional center and with two open spots in the starting lineup. That meant it was time for the young guys to step up, and they didn’t disappoint.
Kyle Filipowski, inserted into the starting five, delivered arguably his most complete game yet. He poured in 25 points, grabbed nine rebounds, and played with a defensive edge that gave the Jazz some much-needed interior presence.
Brice Sensabaugh joined him in the starting lineup, while Taylor Hendricks and Cody Williams came off the bench to provide a spark. Williams, who’s spent most of the season in the G League, chipped in a season-high 11 points, part of a 22-point bench contribution between him and Hendricks.
It wasn’t always smooth. The new-look lineup had its awkward moments early, and the Jazz looked like a team still figuring things out. But that’s where Lauri Markkanen and Keyonte George came in.
Markkanen and George Take Over Late
George was electric from the jump, scoring 24 of his 37 points in the first half and keeping the Jazz within striking distance while Markkanen struggled to find his rhythm early. But when the game tightened late, Markkanen flipped the switch.
The All-Star forward finished with 33 points and 16 rebounds, and it was his relentless work on the glass-especially in the fourth quarter and overtime-that helped seal the deal.
“His stat line looks sort of familiar, but the way that he rebounded the ball, especially late in the game, is something that we need him to channel,” head coach Will Hardy said postgame. “His aggressiveness and physicality to rebound down the stretch of the game is why we won.”
It’s the kind of performance that doesn’t just show up on the box score-it shows up in the hustle plays, the second-chance opportunities, and the tone-setting energy that fuels a young team trying to find its identity.
Flagg’s Historic Night Overshadowed by the L
For Flagg, the night was historic-but bittersweet.
His 42-point explosion not only set a new benchmark for 18-year-olds in NBA history, it also tied Mark Aguirre’s franchise rookie record for points in a game. With his 19th birthday just days away, Flagg now trails only LeBron James and Kobe Bryant for the most total points scored before turning 19.
But the loss stung.
“It’s tough. I want to look at it in wins and losses.
Obviously we didn’t win,” Flagg said after the game. “It’s tough for me to want to be happy, but obviously it’s a success and we’re going to try to keep getting better from here.”
And he’s not wrong-Flagg was on pace for even more. But down the stretch, Utah’s defense tightened, and George, who had struggled to stay in front of Flagg early, stepped up when it mattered most.
“Hats off to him, he played a phenomenal game - getting downhill, getting fouled. That’s what you want from your top guys,” George said.
“But just understanding which way he wanted to go, and then overtime is winning time. That was the main thing.
Just telling myself I wasn’t tired, the group was telling each other we wasn’t tired, and we knew the game was gonna come down to stops.”
What This Game Tells Us
This was one of those games that gives you a little bit of everything: a breakout performance from a future superstar, a gritty win by an undermanned team, and a reminder that in the NBA, it’s not just about who puts up the biggest numbers-it’s about who makes the biggest plays when it counts.
Cooper Flagg will have plenty of nights to celebrate. This one just happened to belong to the Jazz.