Hornets Beat Mavs 123-121 Despite 49 Points From Rookie Cooper Flagg

Hornets Survive Wild Finish in Dallas

Charlotte escaped Dallas with a 123-121 victory on Thursday night. The game featured two young stars putting on a show. Rookie Kon Knueppel led the Hornets with a career explosion. Cooper Flagg answered back with a monster night for Dallas.

Knueppel Takes Over

The fourth overall pick from Duke turned in his best game yet. Knueppel poured in 34 points on amazing shooting. He connected on 62.5% of his shots across 36 minutes. His smooth jumper found nothing but net time after time.

The young guard-forward looked like a veteran star. He attacked the basket with confidence. He pulled up from deep when defenders backed off. Charlotte's lottery pick is proving he belongs in the conversation with the league's best rookies.

Flagg Battles Despite Loss

Cooper Flagg refused to let Dallas go down quietly. The number one pick exploded for 49 points on 69% shooting. He grabbed 10 rebounds and played all-out for 38 minutes. His long arms finished at the rim with authority. His footwork created space for smooth jumpers.

But the Mavericks fell to their fifth straight defeat. Kyrie Irving and Anthony Davis remained sidelined with injuries. Klay Thompson added 16 points but couldn't provide enough help.

Balanced Attack for Charlotte

LaMelo Ball orchestrated the offense with 22 points and nine assists. His no-look passes found open teammates all night. Brandon Miller added 23 points and six rebounds. Miles Bridges nearly recorded a triple-double with 17 points, eight assists, and eight rebounds.

Charlotte jumped out to a 33-20 lead after one quarter. Dallas clawed back to tie the game at 93 after three quarters. The final period turned into a back-and-forth battle. Charlotte made just enough plays down the stretch.

The Hornets improved to 21-28 and continued building toward the playoffs.