Teen sensation Flagg named NBA Rookie of the Year

Cooper Flagg is voted NBA Rookie of the Year ahead of Kon Knueppel and VJ Edgecombe; Flagg edged his former Duke teammate to win the award Monday night after becoming the first rookie since Michael Jordan in 1984-85 to lead his team in points, rebounds, assists and steals

>Dallas Mavericks' Cooper Flagg edged former Duke teammate Kon Knueppel to win the NBA Rookie of the Year award Monday night.

>Flagg set a host of records for an NBA teenager in an also-ran season for the Mavs. He became the first rookie since Michael Jordan in 1984-85 to lead his team in points, rebounds, assists and steals.

>That and other accolades for a teenager were enough to overcome a difficult season for the Mavericks, while Knueppel helped the Charlotte Hornets to a 25-win improvement that almost led to a spot in the playoffs.

>Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

>The 19-year-old Flagg and Knueppel were first and second in rookie scoring, the first former college teammates to do that since UConn stars Emeka Okafor and Ben Gordon in 2004-05. Philadelphia's VJ Edgecombe was the other finalist.

>"I see the games every night. I can check the box scores," Flagg said when asked how close of an eye he kept on Knueppel during the season.

>"I think also I was watching Kon just because that's one of my brothers. We had such a good connection, and we're gonna be there for each other for the rest of our lives. I was watching him as a fan as well, but there was obviously that competition at the same time."

>Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

>The rookie award was the sixth to be announced by the NBA since the end of the regular season.

>Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 31 points, Chet Holmgren added 24 and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Phoenix Suns 131-122 on Monday night, capping a four-game sweep in the first-round series.

>The Thunder - who have a 12-0 record in the first round over the last three seasons - will face the winner of the Los Angeles Lakers-Houston Rockets series in the Western Conference semi-finals.

>The Lakers have a 3-1 lead, though the Rockets won Game 4.