The rookie No. 1 pick erupted for 24 points in the fourth quarter after a disputed no-call led to the ejections of head coach Jason Kidd and forward Naji Marshall, News.Az reports, citing AP.
Both had protested what they believed was a foul by Desmond Bane on Flagg.
Kidd was dismissed after receiving a single technical foul, while Marshall picked up his second technical shortly after, having already been penalized late in the first half.
Flagg finished an efficient night shooting 19 of 30 from the field and a perfect 7 of 7 from the free-throw line, surpassing his previous career-high of 49 points set in January against the Charlotte Hornets.
The 19-year-old credited his coach and teammate for their support, saying their reaction motivated him further during the game.
After briefly leaving the court with 45 points, assistant coach Frank Vogel—who took over following Kidd’s ejection—reinserted Flagg with just over three minutes remaining.
Flagg sealed his milestone soon after, hitting a corner three-pointer before converting an off-balance shot while being fouled to reach 50, adding the free throw to cap his 51-point night to a standing ovation.
Dallas had trailed by 30 points when Flagg began his fourth-quarter surge, but the comeback fell short as the loss marked the Mavericks’ 14th straight home defeat—their longest such streak since the 1993–94 season.
“It’s always fun getting into that type of mode,” Flagg said. “The basket feels big. My teammates are looking out for you, helping you out. But I like to win. That was my main focus. It’s hard for me to fully enjoy myself out there when we’re down 20, down 10, down 15, for the majority of the game.”
Flagg said he thought it was obvious Bane had fouled him in the opening two minutes of the fourth.
“I think it was warranted,” Flagg said about Kidd’s reaction. “I’m not going to lie. I talked to Bane after the play, and he told me he was intentionally trying to foul me. I honestly don’t know how they didn’t see that. Obviously, they must not have had the right view, or they weren’t paying attention. But they missed it.”
