Cooper Flagg drops a career-high 42 points, breaks decades-old LeBron James record in overtime loss to Jazz

IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect / Reuters

Cooper Flagg broke a decades-old LeBron James record just days before his 19th birthday.

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

James set that record back on Dec. 13, 2003 when he put up 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 put up more than 24 points in a single game as an 18-year-old. Both Dwight Howard and Kobe Bryant put up 24 points in a single game at that age early in their respective careers, too.

Though Flagg has come close, he put up 35 points against the Los Angeles Clippers last month, he finally recorded the first 40-point night of his career on Monday in Salt Lake City.

Flagg went 13-of-27 from the field and made 15 free throws for the Mavericks. He had 14 points in the first quarter after shooting 5-of-7 from the field, which helped Dallas to an early six point lead. He had 12 points in the fourth quarter alone, and he missed a free throw with less than five seconds to go on purpose to help set up a wild comeback that eventually forced overtime — thanks to a clutch rebound from Max Christie.

But despite Flagg’s outing, the Jazz pulled away and outscored Dallas 11-4 in overtime to grab the seven-point win.

This post will be updated with more information shortly.