With Anthony Davis sidelined due to injury, Cooper Flagg was required to carry the bulk of the offensive load for the Dallas Mavericks against the Utah Jazz on Monday. He fulfilled his responsibility, delivering the best scoring performance of his young career while etching his name in the record books.By the end of regulation, Flagg had 40 points, becoming the first 18-year-old in NBA history to reach that mark. In doing so, he surpassed LeBron James’ previous record of 37 points in a single game by an 18-year-old.Additionally, Flagg also moved past Tracy McGrady for the third-most points scored in NBA history before turning 19, now trailing only Kobe Bryant and LeBron James on that list.The historic outing resulted in social media fans showering the 2026 Rookie of the Year frontrunner with praise.“Cooper flagg aint letting anyone near that ROTY award again this season,” @Saheem23_ said.“there’s no limit on cooper flagg. this is a guy who can be whatever he wants to be. unreal he’s this good already,” @tim_cato wrote.“That not just a big night, that’s a historical marker. At 18, Cooper Flagg already breaking scoring ceilings shows how rare his trajectory really is,” @0xdoha said.“bro better than lebron already 😭,” @imthelavaman said.“I’m sorry, but you’re DELUSIONAL if you don’t think Cooper Flagg has superstar potential,” @NationMffl wrote."Cooper Flagg is already more skilled than 90% of the league," @KenDavi66334773 said.Unfortunately, the Mavericks were unable to capitalize on Flagg’s brilliance, suffering a 140-133 loss in overtime. Flagg finished the night with 42 points along with seven rebounds, six assists and three ‘stocks’ (steals + blocks).Cooper Flagg replaces former Duke teammate as #1 in latest Rookie LadderCooper Flagg did not have as strong a start to his NBA career, averaging 15.6 points per game across October and November. While that performance was strong enough to earn him the Western Conference Rookie of the Month award, it was not enough to place him at the top of the Rookie Ladder.That spot was taken by his former Duke teammate, Kon Knueppel, who put up 16.9 points per game over the same period.However, Flagg ended November with a dominant performance, scoring 35 points against the LA Clippers. Further, the forward averaged 20.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 2.3 ‘stocks’ per game through the Dec. 6 matchup against the Houston Rockets. This surge in form catapulted Flagg to the top of the Rookie Ladder, overtaking Knueppel.It seems like seeing his name at the top of the Rookie Ladder has given Flagg a major confidence boost. In the two games since the latest rankings were released, he has taken his game to another level, averaging 32.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, 7.0 assists and 2.5 ‘stocks’ per game.