A day after becoming the youngest player in NBA history to record 10 assists in a loss to the Lakers, No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg made some more history in a 114-100 win against the Clippers Saturday night. Flagg became the youngest player in NBA history to record at least 35 points. Flagg did so at 18 years and 343 days, which is five days faster than when LeBron James did it in his rookie season.
Flagg also did it more efficiently than James did, going 13 of 22 from the floor (59.1%), while adding eight rebounds and two assists. He was aggressive from the opening tip, racking up 21 of his 35 points in the first half.
Things came easy for Flagg in the first half, as James Harden’s level of defense was minimal at best, and non-existent on most occasions. The Clippers orange-red jerseys were actually quite fitting for the occasion, as their defense looked like traffic cones out there as Flagg knifed his way to the iron for countless layups with minimal rim pressure.
Despite the poor defensive display from the Clippers, who rank 26th on that end of the floor and have now lost four consecutive games, it was an impressive feat from the rookie. You could tell Flagg looks far more comfortable on the floor, and he’s been more assertive in looking for his own shot, even when the game is on the line.
It was Flagg who made a pull-up, mid-range jumper with under two minutes to go to put the Mavericks back out in front against the Clippers. He once again answered the call with 45 seconds to go, when he attacked the rim out of a pick-and-roll and took it straight at Clippers big man Ivica Zubac. Flagg got the foul call and nearly got the shot to fall after the whistle blew, but made sure to convert both free throws to put the Mavericks up by four points.
It felt like Flagg’s first signature win of his career, and an inflection point of his rookie season that should earn him more attention for Rookie of the Year. If you were to take a poll right now, many would vote Charlotte Hornets rookie Kon Knueppel for the award. He’s leading all…
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