Cooper Flagg scores career-high 42 points, breaks LeBron James’ 10-year record in overtime loss to Jazz

Cooper Flagg broke LeBron James’ 10-year record just days before his 19th birthday.

The Dallas Mavericks rookie dropped a career-high 42 points in a 140-133 overtime loss to the Utah Jazz on Monday night at Delta Center. This broke James’ record for most points scored in a single game by an 18-year-old in NBA history.

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James set that record on December 13, 2003, when he scored 37 points against the Boston Celtics during his rookie season with the Cleveland Cavaliers. James and Flagg are actually the only two in NBA history to score more than 24 points in a single game at 18 years old. Both Dwight Howard and Kobe Bryant scored 24 points in a single game at that age early in their respective careers.

While Flagg came close, he scored 35 points against the Los Angeles Clippers last month, and on Monday in Salt Lake City he finally recorded the first 40-point night of his career.

Flagg went 13 of 27 from the field and made 15 free throws for the Mavericks. He scored 14 points in the first quarter after shooting 5-of-7 from the field, which helped Dallas build an early six-point lead. He had 12 points in the fourth quarter alone and missed a free throw with less than five seconds left to help mount a wild comeback that ultimately forced overtime, thanks to a rebound by Max Christie.

But despite Flagg’s exit, the Jazz pulled away and outscored Dallas 11-4 in overtime to clinch the seven-point victory.

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This post will be updated with more information soon.