After scoring 51 points against the Orlando Magic and becoming the youngest player in NBA history with a 50-point performance (also the first teenager to achieve this), Flagg dazzled again the very next night against the Los Angeles Lakers. He put up 45 points and led Dallas to a home victory with a score of 134:128, snapping a 14-game home losing streak—the longest in the past 32 years.
The young American also recorded nine assists and eight rebounds, with his performance placing him among the greats. He became the first rookie since Allen Iverson in the 1996/97 season to string together two games with at least 40 points. Additionally, this marked his fourth 40+ point game as a teenager, surpassing LeBron James, who has three such performances.
In his last two games, Flagg scored a total of 96 points, the most by a rookie since Wilt Chamberlain. Moreover, he became the first player since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to have multiple 45+ point games within a month.
A particularly interesting statistic from this matchup is that, for the first time in NBA history, both a rookie and a 40-year-old scored over 30 points in the same game. For the Lakers, LeBron James shone with 30 points, nine rebounds, and 15 assists, compensating for the absence of the injured Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves.
James dominated especially in the second quarter, scoring 16 points and helping the Lakers cut a large deficit. However, the depleted Los Angeles squad couldn’t overcome one of the league’s weakest teams this season.
Flagg received support from P. J. Washington with 15 points and six rebounds, and Naji Marshall, who added 13 points, six rebounds, and seven assists. For the Lakers, Jaxson Hayes stood out with 23 points, while Luke Kennard recorded his first career triple-double (15 points, 16 rebounds, and 11 assists).
With this loss, the Lakers face an uncertain end to the regular season, battling for third place in the Western Conference against the Denver Nuggets and Houston Rockets.
Boston - Toronto 115:101 Brooklyn - Washington 121:115 Chicago - Phoenix 110:120 Milwaukee - Memphis 131:115 Cleveland - Indiana 117:108 Minnesota - Charlotte 108:122 New Orleans - Orlando 108:112 Oklahoma - Utah 146:111 Dallas - LA Lakers 134:128 Sacramento - LA Clippers 109:138 Golden State - Houston 116:117
Eastern Conference: Western Conference: