18-Year-Old Cooper Flagg's 35 Lifts Mavericks Past Clippers

Cooper Flagg erupted for a career-high 35 points to lift the Dallas Mavericks to a 114-110 road win over the Los Angeles Clippers on the second night of a back-to-back. At 18, Flagg became the youngest player in NBA history to reach 35 in a game, joining LeBron as the only 18-year-olds to hit 30+, adding eight rebounds and two assists while shooting 59%. Dallas snapped a three-game skid (6-15) while the Clippers fell to 5-15 despite 29 from James Harden and 30 from Kawhi Leonard. Merlin sees a rare talent showing calm under pressure — a go-ahead jumper with 2:47 left and clutch free throws mark more than a scoring outburst. Still, the Mavericks’ record says this is a beginning, not a guarantee; the true test arrives Monday in Denver.