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Dallas Mavericks' Flagg Out After Flagrant-1 Foul
· Confirmed
In Short: Cooper Flagg of the Dallas Mavericks was forced to leave Friday's game against the Indiana Pacers after sustaining a left shoulder injury during a flagrant-1 foul.
Flagg was driving toward the basket for a breakaway dunk when he was hit by Aaron Nesmith, causing him to fall awkwardly and grab his shoulder.
The incident sparked a scuffle between the teams, resulting in technical fouls for both Naji Marshall of the Mavericks and Nesmith.
Dallas coach Dusty May said Flagg was in good spirits in the locker room but will be evaluated over the next couple of days.
Flagg had a strong performance before leaving, scoring 14 points, grabbing five rebounds, and dishing out six assists in just 17 minutes.
The Mavericks entered halftime with a 77-43 lead, with Flagg leading all scorers.
May noted that Flagg's absence could mean he will miss the next game against the San Antonio Spurs.
Fans and analysts are hopeful that Flagg's injury is not overly serious, given the severity of the fall.
The Mavericks are building around the 19-year-old Flagg, who was off to a fast start in his second pro season.
Though imaging results will provide the official diagnosis, the timeline suggests Flagg will miss the upcoming game.
The incident occurred late in the second quarter, with Flagg racing down the floor in transition following a turnover by Indiana's Pascal Siakam.
Two Mavericks players left the bench to check on Flagg, potentially avoiding any disciplinary action from the league.
The game was a dominant performance by the Mavericks, who welcomed back Tyrese Haliburton for his first home game since tearing his Achilles during the NBA Finals.
Background
Cooper Flagg, the Dallas Mavericks' star player, was forced to leave the game against the Indiana Pacers after sustaining a left shoulder injury during a fastbreak.
Cooper Flagg of the Dallas Mavericks will not return to the game after sustaining a left shoulder injury during a flagrant-1 foul by Indiana Pacers' Aaron Nesmith.
What's confirmed
- Despite Flagg's untimely exit, Kyrie Irving led the charge for Dallas with 24 point, outlasting Indiana with a 121-105 win.
- Naji Marshall was also called for a technical foul.
- Flagg took a hard hit from Aaron Nesmith in the final minute of the first half while driving toward the basket for a breakaway dunk.
- Cooper Flagg entered the locker room in the Dallas Mavericks-Indiana Pacers Friday game with a left shoulder injury.
- Cooper Flagg sustained left shoulder soreness after absorbing a hard hit from Aaron Nesmith in the Mavs-Pacers game.
- Mavericks coach Dusty May said that Flagg was in "good spirits" in the locker room, but will be evaluated in the "next couple of days."
- Flagg immediately grabbed for his shoulder, while Mavericks forward Naji Marshall confronted Nesmith under the basket, which led to a big scrum involving players from both teams.
- Though imaging results will provide the official diagnosis, the timeline May put forward suggests that Flagg will miss Dallas’ next game, which is Saturday, Oct. 24 against the San Antonio Spurs.
- Dallas is undergoing something of a rebuild, as the team builds around the 19 year old Flagg.
- Cooper Flagg #32 of the Dallas Mavericks is fouled by Aaron Nesmith #23 of the Indiana Pacers during the second quarter at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on October 23, 2026 in Indianapolis, Indiana.
- Flagg was off to a fast start in his second pro season.
- Flagg was driving for a breakaway dunk when Nesmith made contact, according to BasketNews.
What's still developing
- With a minute to play in the first half in Indianapolis, Flagg got a steal and took off the other way on a fast break.
- The arm he went up to contest with didn’t come within a foot of the ball as Flagg extended it toward the rack, but Nesmith followed through anyway on a hard foul, sending Flagg to the hardwood with one minute left before halftime and the Mavericks up 73-40.
- Fans Say NBA Draft Rigged as Mavericks Can Replace Luka Doncic With Cooper Flagg Flagg dealt with a Grade 2 left ankle inversion sprain late in the 2025 ACC Tournament against Georgia Tech while at Duke, according to SIC Score.
- Now it's unclear whether the Dallas star will miss any more time.
- Cooper Flagg NBA MIN 32.9 PTS 32 FG% 70% REB 5 AS 2 Profile Statistics He will no longer return with left shoulder soreness, according to the Mavs.
Sources
- Basketnewslink
- CBS Sportslink
- Dallas Hoops Journallink
- Dallas Newslink
- Espnlink
- Heavylink
- Mavsmoneyballlink
- Nypostlink
- SSBCracklink
- Sbnationlink
- Sportsnetlink
- The Big Leadlink
- theScorelink
- Centraloregondailylink
- WarpBeat — background on Mavericks' Flagg Out After Flagrant-1 Foul link
- WarpBeat — background on Cooper Flagg Out After Flagrant-1 Foul in Mavericks Win link
- Chaz NBA — video link