Cooper Flagg Shines with 45 Points in Mavericks' Thrilling Win Over Lakers

Cooper Flagg Shines with 45 Points in Mavericks' Thrilling Win Over Lakers

Teenage rookie Cooper Flagg continued his impressive performance by scoring 45 points as the Dallas Mavericks triumphed over the Los Angeles Lakers 134-128 on Sunday. Just a day prior, Flagg made history as the first teenager to score 50 points in an NBA game, finishing with 51 points against the Orlando Magic, including a remarkable 24 points in the fourth quarter. Following this, he notched another stellar performance with 45 points, nine assists, and eight rebounds against the injury-riddled Lakers. Key highlights from the game include: Flagg becomes the first rookie since Allen Iverson in 1997 to achieve back-to-back 40-point games. He is now a frontrunner for this season's Rookie of the Year award. The Mavericks took control early against the Lakers, who were without star players Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, leading 41-30 at the end of the first quarter. LeBron James, at 41, led the Lakers with 30 points, 15 assists, and nine rebounds, while Luke Kennard contributed 15 points, 16 rebounds, and 11 assists. Additional contributions for the Mavericks included PJ Washington with 15 points, Naji Marshall and Brandon Williams each adding 13 points, and Klay Thompson hitting three three-pointers for his 11-point total. Lakers coach JJ Redick lamented a "poor defensive night" for his team, stating, "We didn't start the game the right way and just played catch-up the rest of the game." Currently, the Lakers sit at third in the Western Conference, while the Mavericks, positioned at twelfth, are already out of playoff contention.

Source: BBC Sport - 2026-04-06