The Dallas Mavericks finally got on the board with a 121-105 road win over the Indiana Pacers on Friday. However, the result was overshadowed by an injury to rookie sensation Cooper Flagg, who hurt his shoulder during the contest.
Cooper Flagg injured his left shoulder after taking a hard foul and hitting the floor during the game. (Getty Images via AFP)
Cooper Flagg suffers shoulder sprain
Flagg injured his left shoulder after taking a hard foul and hitting the floor during the game. On Saturday afternoon, the Mavericks confirmed that the rookie had suffered a mild shoulder sprain and would miss the clash against the San Antonio Spurs. The team added that his condition would be assessed again next week.
“The Dallas Mavericks announced today that Cooper Flagg underwent an MRI that revealed a mild left shoulder sprain. Flagg will be listed as out for tonight’s game against San Antonio and will be re-evaluated next week. Further updates will be provided as appropriate,” the Mavericks PR tweeted on X.
What Dusty May said on Flagg’s injury
Following Friday’s win, head coach Dusty May was unable to provide a clear timeline for Flagg’s return, saying the team was still waiting to determine the extent of the injury.
Also read | Britt McHenry loses Trump administration job after throwing drink at fan during NBA game
“I really don’t know. I saw him in the locker room. He’s in good spirits,” May said.
Analyst outlines possible return timeline
With the Mavericks now confirming the nature of the injury, attention has turned to how much time Flagg might miss. Jeff Stotts, an injury analyst for Rotowire, offered some insight into the potential recovery period in a post on X.
“Cooper Flagg Injury Update: Based on the mechanism of injury & the spot Coop was favoring on the telecast, his sprain is likely an acromioclavicular (AC) sprain. In the NBA, the average time lost for nondescript or low-grade in-season AC sprains is roughly 12 days (~4.3 games),” he tweeted.
Flagg’s strong start interrupted by injury
Cooper Flagg made an impressive start to the new season, scoring 32 points against the Houston Rockets on Wednesday to set a record for the most points by a teenager in his season debut.
Two days later, he suffered a shoulder injury after Aaron Nesmith committed a flagrant foul while Flagg was on a breakaway against the Indiana Pacers.
Also read | LeBron James reacts as Trump seeks apology over ‘disrespect’ to national anthem, ‘Slow news day in the office’
Flagg also dealt with several injuries during his rookie campaign, missing 12 games because of various ailments. Despite those setbacks, he secured the Rookie of the Year award after averaging 21.0 points, 6.7 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.2 steals per game.
