Cooper Flagg breaks NBA teen record with 49 points in Mavs' loss to Hornets

DALLAS (AP) — As Dallas rookie Cooper Flagg set the NBA record for points by a teenager with 49 on Thursday night in a 123-121 loss to Charlotte, he broke the franchise rookie scoring record he shared with Mark Aguirre — whose jersey was retired at halftime.

“Mark Aguirre is special. Such a special night for him and the whole organization,” said Flagg, who turned 19 in December. “I just feel blessed. It’s a pretty cool thing.”

“You saw history,” Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said. “We saw history at halftime, and we got to see a young man play the game at a very high level. To have Mark in the building and break his record was pretty special.”

Also special for the No. 1 draft pick last summer from Duke was playing his first NBA game against Kon Knueppel, his roommate as Blue Devils freshmen last season. Knueppel, drafted fourth, set his own career record with 34 points and hit the two winning free throws with 4.1 seconds left after being fouled at the rim by Flagg.

“Cooper, he played like the best player we’ve played all season,” said Knueppel, who set a franchise rookie record hitting eight 3-pointers. “He had a heck of a game, he’s a heck of a player, and he’s going to have a heck of a career.”

Flagg referred to Knueppel as his “brother for life.”

Cliff Robinson set the previous NBA teen record of 45 at age 19 for New Jersey in a game against Detroit on March 9, 1980. Flagg’s previous high of 42 points also came in a defeat — 140-133 at Utah on Dec. 15. As did Aguirre’s, in a 118-112 loss to Golden State on Nov. 14, 1981.

It didn’t start out looking like a historic night for Flagg. He shot 1 for 4 in the first quarter as the Mavericks fell behind by 15 points. He caught fire in the second period, hitting 8 of 9 including 2 of 3 from downtown plus 5 for 5 at the free-throw line. His 23 points in the period and 25 at halftime were both Dallas individual highs this season.

Knueppel conversely came out hot. He hit his first three shots from behind the arc, 4 for 5 in the first period and added another in the second quarter.

“When he sees some easy ones go in to start the game, it’s never a good thing (for an opponent),” Flagg said of Knueppel, who turned 20 in August. “That’s how it is for a lot of great shooters.”

Any trash talk?

“Chirping back and forth,” Flagg said. “Just having fun.”

The two leading candidates for Rookie of the Year finished the night with Flagg averaging 19.5 points per game, Knueppel 18.9. They’ll meet again on March 3 in Charlotte.

It will be difficult to match their collective effort on Thursday night.

“We’ll both be looking back on this night and this whole year in general the rest of our lives,” Flagg said.

AP NBA: https://www.apnews.com/hub/NBA

Former Dallas Mavericks player Mark Aguirre, center, reacts during his jersey retirement presentation at halftime during an NBA basketball game between the Mavericks and the Charlotte Hornets, Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Jessica Tobias)

Charlotte Hornets guard Kon Knueppel (7) guards Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg (32) during an NBA basketball game, Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Jessica Tobias)

Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg gestures during an NBA basketball game against the Charlotte Hornets, Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Jessica Tobias)

Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg, center left, and Charlotte Hornets guard Kon Knueppel (7) talk after an NBA basketball game, Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Jessica Tobias)

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Jason Robertson and Mikko Rantanen scored in the shootout and Dallas escaped with a 5-4 victory over the Golden Knights after the Stars blew a three-goal lead in the third period Thursday night.

Vegas' Mitch Marner forced overtime when he used his stick to keep the puck from leaving the offensive zone and then blasted a shot from the left point with 48.7 seconds left.

Mavrik Bourque scored twice for the Stars, who have won four of their past five games. It was the first multigoal game for Bourque, whom the Stars drafted 30th overall in 2020.

The Stars also got goals from Matt Duchene and Wyatt Johnston, and Jamie Benn and Sam Steel each had two assists. Jake Oettinger finished with 17 saves.

Marner and Keegan Kolesar each had a goal and an assist for the Golden Knights, Ivan Barbashev scored and Reilly Smith had a short-handed goal. Smith has 13 career short-handed goals for the Golden Knights, two off the franchise record set by William Karlsson.

Adin Hill had 23 saves for the Golden Knights, who have lost five of six and are 1-6 in shootouts this season.

Two Stars reached career milestones, with Adam Erne playing in his 400th game and Johnston in his 300th. Johnston, who has not missed a Stars game since his NHL debut on Oct. 13, 2022, is the fourth player from the 2021 draft class to hit that mark.

Dallas scored in the opening two minutes for the third game in a row when Duchene took advantage of a vacated net to score his fourth goal in three games.

After Kolesar's equalizer 4:07 into the second period, the Stars scored three goals — two by Bourque — before the Golden Knights rallied with three goals in the third.

Stars: Visit the Utah Mammoth on Saturday.

Golden Knights: Host the Seattle Kraken on Saturday.

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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Adin Hill (33) reacts after he was scored on by the Dallas Stars during the second period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)

Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Ben Hutton (17) and Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Adin Hill (33) try to knock the puck away from Dallas Stars center Radek Faksa (12) during the first period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)

Dallas Stars center Mavrik Bourque (22) celebrates after scoring his second goal against the Vegas Golden Knights during the second period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)

Dallas Stars center Matt Duchene (95) celebrates after scoring against the Vegas Golden Knights during the first period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)