Will Hardy Reacts to Cooper Flagg's Historic Night in Jazz-Mavericks

In the process of the Utah Jazz's overtime home win over the Dallas Mavericks, it wouldn't be a night without this summer's number-one overall pick, Cooper Flagg, stamping his name in the history books with an explosive 40-point performance.

In 42 minutes, Flagg had 42 points on 48.1% shooting from the field and 27 shots, pairing with seven rebounds and six assists to have the most points scored ever by an 18-year-old in NBA history.

For Jazz head coach Will Hardy, it was a night that he felt his team adjusted to Flagg's tendencies throughout the game, and while they may have played a little too far up on him in the early moments that gave him an easier lane to drive, they made the necessary changes for a grind-it-out win.

"I think the team adjusted that Cooper [Flagg] really wanted to go left," Hardy said after the Jazz's win. "I felt like early in the game, we pressed up on him a little bit too close, and he is more athletic than you think. He has a great first step, and he gets low, and he pushes his dribble out in front."

"We lost the battle, like, right at the point of attack too many times early in the game. But I think, especially as the game wore on, I felt like we did a better job of recognizing that he wants to go left, and we did a better job with our angles," Hardy said.

"He only takes four threes in the game, and so I felt like there were some moments where we were a little bit too close to him–– especially early."

Utah Jazz Adjusted to Cooper Flagg Amid 42-Point Night

Dec 15, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg (32) looks for the play against the Utah Jazz during the second half at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images | Rob Gray-Imagn Images

The Jazz would end up adjusting well in the second half and overtime, leading to Flagg shooting just 6-16 from the field, but still leaving him to put up 16 points within that same timeframe.

The raw numbers show that Flagg had his way with the Jazz, and for a good chunk of the first half, he certainly did. But the Jazz's effort on both ends of the floor turned up when they needed it most, and even allowed for Utah to have a pair of 30-plus point scorers themselves in Lauri Markkanen (33) and Keyonte George (37).

COOPER FLAGG TONIGHT 🤯

42 PTS
6 AST
7 REB
Most PTS scored by an 18-year-old in a single game EVER

HISTORY. 🔥 pic.twitter.com/OT9do8bnxw
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) December 16, 2025

It's a credit to the Jazz's defense that, while they currently rank in the bottom three of the NBA defensively per defensive rating (121.6), they were able to make the necessary adjustments for what's now their second-straight win, and another at the Delta Center.

They'll have their chance to extend that streak to three back on their home floor vs. the Los Angeles Lakers after a two-day break, and if able to step up on both ends of the floor as they did against Flagg and the Mavericks, they might have a good chance at doing so.

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