Patchwork Rockets must contend with Mavericks’ Cooper Flagg
Dallas Mavericks rookie Cooper Flagg had already confirmed his extraordinary talent before he produced a historic performance on Thursday that lifted him even higher into the stratosphere.
With the Mavericks poised to honor one of their franchise legends, Flagg scored a team rookie record 49 points and corralled 10 rebounds in a 123-121 loss to the Charlotte Hornets. Flagg surpassed the mark of 42 points Mark Aguirre, who had his No. 24 hoisted to the rafters, scored as a rookie during the 1981-82 season, and Flagg matched on Dec. 15 against the Utah Jazz.
The Mavericks, who will travel to face the Houston Rockets on Saturday in the finale of a four-game season series that Dallas leads 2-1, basked in their glorious past while getting another glimpse of their promising future with Flagg undeniably serving as their foundation.
"It's special to have an accomplishment like that," Flagg said of his effort. "It's such a special night for (Aguirre) and the whole organization, so I just feel blessed. It's a pretty cool thing."
Despite the heroics of their rookie sensation, the Mavericks dropped their third consecutive game. Flagg lamented a last-minute turnover and foul that helped the Hornets seal the win.
In the aftermath, Flagg was celebrated for a competitive passion on par with his production. Per his coach, the 19-year-old has displayed the sort of character that franchises can trust to lead the way into the future, and that was confirmed alongside his spectacular on-court display.
"We got to see a young man play the game at a very high level," Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said. "Being able to help us score, play defense -- he did it all.
"He's not about numbers. He's about wins and losses. That's who he is. He competes to win. People who take stats, he's not worried about. For a young man who thinks that way, he's going to be a champion sooner than later."
The Rockets continue to walk a tightrope with their roster attrition, as they grinded out a 104-86 road win over the Atlanta Hawks on Thursday in the second game of a back-to-back.
Houston claimed victory despite the absences of reserve center Steven Adams, who recently underwent season-ending ankle surgery, and wings Tari Eason and Dorian Finney-Smith, both of whom played in a home loss to the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday. Eason and Finney-Smith, as part of their respective injury management, typically do not participate in back-to-back contests.
Severely short-handed, the Rockets dug a bit deeper into their rotation and gleaned positive results. Josh Okogie posted 10 points and 10 rebounds subbing for Eason, while Jae'Sean Tate logged 19 energetic minutes off the bench. Clint Capela, who has been asked to fill the void created by Adams' loss, produced 10 points, seven boards and two blocks.
"Some of the guys that didn't play as much (Wednesday) night really injected some energy there," Rockets coach Ime Udoka said. "Overall, you could see the pace and physicality they played with. It made a huge difference."