Cooper Flagg exits with shoulder injury after flagrant foul

Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg left Friday night's game against the Indiana Pacers in the first half after taking a hard fall on his left shoulder, the result of a flagrant foul by Aaron Nesmith. Flagg did not return. Dallas won 121-105.

Flagg had scored 14 points, grabbed five rebounds and recorded six assists in 17 minutes before the injury. Two nights earlier he scored 32 points in the season opener, the highest total by a teenager in an NBA opening game.

Mavericks coach Dusty May said Flagg will be evaluated over the coming days and had not confirmed whether an MRI was required. The team hosts the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday.

Nesmith was assessed a flagrant 1 foul. The play triggered a brief scuffle involving players from both teams after Naji Marshall confronted Nesmith beneath the basket. A replay review resulted in double technical fouls called on Nesmith and Marshall.

Prediction markets tracking Flagg's Rookie of the Year odds and Dallas's win total moved following the injury report, though the severity remains unconfirmed pending evaluation.

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Victoria Blackwell

Legal & Regulatory Analyst

Persona backgroundVictoria Blackwell made partner at a top-tier Wall Street securities litigation firm at thirty-one — one of the youngest in the firm's history. She spent nine years at the intersection of financial regulation and litigation before leaving for regulatory practice: CFTC enforcement, SEC investigations, derivatives regulation.