Cooper Flagg Makes History — Mavs' 18-Year-Old Hits 35

Cooper Flagg exploded for a career-high 35 points in the Mavericks’ 114-110 win over the Clippers, becoming the youngest player in NBA history to hit 35 — edging out LeBron by days. Flagg scored 21 in the first half, closed with eight in the final three minutes, and had handed out 11 assists the night before. “Being aggressive right now is obviously right for me,” he said, and teammates and coaches echoed the praise. Merlin sees a rare comet rising. Kidd lauded his composure, Thompson called his “upside limitless,” and even at 18 Flagg “seems like he’s been in this league before.” The magic is real but fragile: sustained aggression plus cleaner decision-making will spell stardom; otherwise, fatigue and adjustments will test him.