Cooper Flagg out with shoulder sprain after Nesmith flagrant foul — SkimNews
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- Cooper Flagg left the Mavericks' game against the Pacers with a left shoulder injury after a flagrant foul by Aaron Nesmith and will be reevaluated next week
- Dallas Mavericks announced an MRI revealed a mild left shoulder sprain for Flagg and confirmed he will miss at least the next two games
- Aaron Nesmith was assessed a Flagrant 1 foul after a hard chase-down tackle on Flagg that triggered a player altercation under the basket
- Naji Marshall confronted Nesmith immediately after the foul, leading to a scrum involving multiple players from both teams
- Kyrie Irving emphasized the team's duty to protect Flagg, calling the incident a moment that tested the Mavericks' locker-room brotherhood
- Dusty May described Nesmith as a 'great guy' and called the play unfortunate, while confirming Flagg was in good spirits post-injury
Why it matters: Flagg’s injury removes a top-25 NBA player in his sophomore breakout from action during a critical stretch, and the Mavericks’ response signals a cultural shift toward protecting young talent—especially after Flagg averaged 24 points in his first two games and led the team in steals before getting hurt.
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