Mavs' Cooper Flagg joins LeBron in history after first 30-point game

Cooper Flagg registered a historic performance on Saturday and joined LeBron James in the history books, leading the Dallas Mavericks to a win over the LA Clippers.

Flagg produced a game-high 35 points, eight rebounds and two assists in the 114-110 victory at the Intuit Dome, snapping a three-game losing streak. He went 13-of-22 from the field and 9-of-11 from the free-throw line in 38 minutes of action.

The No. 1 pick became the youngest player in history to score at least 35 points in a game and joined LeBron James as the only two to do so before turning 19 (18 years, 343 days). Flagg is one of five rookies to score at least 30 points in a game this season.

"We have been unhealthy, had some guys (injured) and whatnot," Flagg said. "I think it is just having that next-man-up mentality. We have a really deep, talented roster right now, so I think it is just having guys step up on individual nights. That is something we've kind of just adapted to."

The Mavericks (6-15) played without several key players due to various injuries, including Anthony Davis, Daniel Gafford, Dereck Lively II and PJ Washington. With Flagg leading the way, Klay Thompson tallied 23 points and Naji Marshall added 18 points.

Flagg scored 21 points alone in the first half to help the Mavericks stay within seven points at the intermission. They outscored the Clippers 65-54 in the second half after shooting 52.6% from the field and converting 10 turnovers into 11 points.

"I thought Cooper set the tone early," Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said. "He was aggressive, being able to get to the rim, not settling. He did that for the 38 minutes that he was on the floor. He was aggressive. Not just the scoring, but being able to find guys, create opportunities for others. Then defensively, he made some big plays for us."

Flagg is averaging 16.7 points, 6.6 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.4 steals on 46.2% shooting from the field in 20 games. He ranks second in rookie scoring and is one of two first-year players with at least five 20-point games (Kon Knueppel, 10).

The 6-foot-8 forward showcased his overall skill set and ability on Saturday to lead the short-handed Mavericks. A quarter of the season in, Flagg is still figuring things out, but he offered a glimpse of the production he can bring on a nightly basis.

"I think the biggest thing I've adapted to in trying to learn to use to my advantage is the spacing on the floor," Flagg said. "Obviously, that is one of the biggest changes from college to this level is figuring out the spacing and how to pick apart defenses using that spacing to our advantage. I'm continuing to learn how to use that and use it to our team's advantage."

This article originally appeared on Rookie Wire: Mavs news: Cooper Flagg joins LeBron in history after 30-point game