Cooper Flagg 49 points vs Hornets (Jan 29, 2026): best of 43 games
49 PTS · 20-of-29 FG · 3-of-5 3P · 6-of-6 FT · 38:06 MIN
Usual before this game: 18.8 PTS · 15.2 FGA · 33.9 MIN, from 42 regular-season games
Best Game Score of the 43 games the source holds this season: 40.1 against a usual 14.7 (+25.4)
Season-high 49 points among the games the source holds (previous high 42, set on Dec 15, 2025)
above usual
No more than 1 in 100 games by players at this level finish this far above their usual.
For a player who plays every game, a game this far above the usual comes less than once a season.
How the score worksWhy did Cooper Flagg score 49 points?
In 38:06 against the Hornets on Jan 29, 2026, Cooper Flagg scored 49 points: 20-of-29 from the field (69.0%), 3-of-5 from three (60.0%), 6-of-6 on free throws (100.0%). Before this game, Flagg averaged 18.8 points on 15.2 shots in 33.9 minutes across 42 regular-season games. No earlier game the source holds this season reached 49 points. By Game Score it was the best of the 43 games the source holds this season. The shot count was 29, against a usual 15.2. The rate from the field was 69.0%, against a usual 47.9%. By shot type: two-pointers 34 points (usual 12.7); threes 9 points (usual 2.8); free throws 6 points (usual 3.3). Playing time was 38:06, against a usual 33.9 minutes; per 36 minutes, the Game Score was 37.9, against a usual 15.6. The Mavericks lost 123-121 at home against the Hornets. The box score records what changed, not why: it holds no injury, matchup or coaching information.
Generated from the box score and this season's game log. How the score works
What changed
Flagg in this game against the usual line
| Stat | This game | Usual (42 games) | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minutes | 38:06 | 33.9 | +4.2 |
| Points | 49 | 18.8 | +30.2 |
| Shots (FGA) · FG% | 29 · 69.0% | 15.2 · 47.9% | +13.8 · +21.1 |
| 3PA · 3P% | 5 · 60.0% | 3.4 · 27.8% | +1.6 · +32.2 |
| FTA · FT% | 6 · 100.0% | 4.2 · 78.5% | +1.8 · +21.5 |
| Rebounds | 10 | 6.4 | +3.6 |
| Assists | 3 | 4.1 | -1.1 |
| Turnovers | 2 | 2.2 | -0.2 |
| UsageUsual: minutes-weighted average of per-game usage, 42 games | 35.9 | 24.1 | +11.8 |
| Game Score per 36 minutes | 37.9 | 15.6 | +22.3 |
Points by shot type
Twos, threes and free throws: the changes add up to the points change
| Shot type | This game | Usual (42 games) | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Threes | 9 (3-of-5) | 2.8 (0.9-of-3.4) | +6.2 |
| Twos | 34 (17-of-24) | 12.7 (6.3-of-11.8) | +21.3 |
| Free throws | 6 (6-of-6) | 3.3 (3.3-of-4.2) | +2.7 |
| Total | 49 | 18.8 | +30.2 |
Game Score
One measure of the whole box score line
40.1 against a usual 14.7 (+25.4)
Its five parts
| Part | Change |
|---|---|
| Scoring, net of shot attempts | +26.0 |
| Rebounds | +1.0 |
| Assists | -0.8 |
| Steals and blocks | -1.1 |
| Turnovers and fouls | +0.3 |
| Total | +25.4 |
Season so far
Regular season, in date order
Best Game Score of the 43 games the source holds this season.
Previous best: 33.0, set on Dec 23, 2025.
Context
From the rows this page already reads
- The Mavericks lost 123-121 at home against the Hornets.
- Previous appearance: Jan 24, 2026, 5 days earlier.
- Between the previous appearance and this game, the Mavericks played on Jan 28, 2026; Flagg was not in that box score; the data does not say why.
- No earlier regular-season meetings with the Hornets this season.
- The source holds fewer Mavericks games than this season has, so season highs, lows and ranks count only the games it holds.
What this page cannot tell you
The same on every performance page
Box scores record what happened, not why: no injuries or health, defensive assignments, matchups, coaching decisions or play-by-play.
Game Score against the player's own usual line. How rare a gap is comes from NBA regular-season games of 2023-24 and 2024-25, checked on 2025-26.