“Would Be Better Than Kon’s Career Best Game” – Fans Erupt As Cooper Flagg Drops Another ROTY Statement Performance

With the Rookie of the Year race intensifying more than a third of the way into the season, Cooper Flagg delivered a historic outing Tuesday night as the Dallas Mavericks edged the Denver Nuggets 131-130.

Logging nearly 40 minutes on the floor, Flagg poured in 33 points on 14-of-21 shooting while adding nine assists, nine rebounds, one steal and one block. That performance placed him alongside former Mavericks star Luka Doncic as the only teenagers in NBA history to post that stat line in a single game.

Fans on X compared Flagg to his former Duke teammate and current Charlotte Hornets rookie Kon Knueppel, who has already recorded three 30-point games this season.

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“Would be better than Kon’s career best game btw,” one fan said. “People saying ‘Kon’ and ‘VJ’ 😭😭😭,” another said. “Guys tried to say Kon was better,” another commented.

Here are other reactions to Flagg’s night.

Flagg and Knueppel have each appeared in 30 games this season. The Mavericks rookie is averaging 19.2 points, 6.4 rebounds and 3.8 assists, while the Hornets guard is posting 19.4 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.5 assists.

RELATED: NBA Rookie of the Year 2026: Cooper Flagg Finally Gets Sole Hold on Top Spot, VJ Edgecombe Returns

Cooper Flagg reveals what’s on his Christmas list

Cooper Flagg and the Dallas Mavericks will next be in action on Christmas Day against the Golden State Warriors, opening a three-game road trip that will also take them to Sacramento and Portland.

Following the win over Denver, Flagg was asked about his performance and said the timing made it even more meaningful with the holidays approaching.

“Christmas time, you know, there’s magic in there,” he said. “It’s the holidays, so I’m glad I came out here and had a good performance.”

When asked about what he wanted for Christmas, Flagg made it clear his focus remains on winning.

“I’m just thinking about basketball,” he said. “I just want to get some more wins. That’s what’s on my wish list. I want to get a bunch more wins.”

With Tuesday night’s victory, the Mavericks improved to 12-19 on the season and now sit one game behind the Portland Trail Blazers for the final play-in spot.

Edited by John Ezekiel Hirro