Cooper Flagg injury, Kidd: “We decided not to take any risks”
Cooper Flagg waved the white flag after halftime against Denver. A second consecutive ankle issue for the rookie, as the Mavericks’ injury list continues to grow
It was a tough night for the Dallas Mavericks, who not only fell 118-109 to the Denver Nuggets, but also had to deal with yet another physical setback for Cooper Flagg. The Duke product did not return to the court after halftime due to a left ankle injury.
The Texas franchise announced early in the third quarter that Flagg had been ruled out for the remainder of the game, without providing immediate further details about his condition.
The key moment came with 6:01 left in the second quarter, during defense against Peyton Watson. Flagg committed a foul, began limping noticeably, and headed to the locker room accompanied by athletic trainer Jana Austin. Although he briefly returned to the floor with 2:35 left before halftime, the negative sensations didn’t fade, ultimately forcing him to shut it down.
Postgame, Jason Kidd didn’t hide his uncertainty:
He stepped on another player’s foot. He had already tweaked the ankle in the previous game, so we decided not to take any risks in the second half.
Jason Kidd
Second consecutive incident to the same ankle
What worries the Mavericks’ medical staff the most is the recurrence. The game against Denver marked the second straight outing in which Flagg turned the same ankle. Just two days earlier, in the win over Brooklyn, he had returned to action with a heavily reinforced wrap.
Not just Flagg: Gafford also goes down
The rough night didn’t end there for Dallas. In the third quarter, Daniel Gafford was also forced to leave the game with a right ankle sprain, the same issue that has bothered him since training camp.
Looking ahead to the second game of the back-to-back against Utah, Kidd remained noncommittal:
I don’t know if Flagg or Gafford will play tomorrow. It’s a tough stretch for us. We’ve been hit by injuries since the first day of training camp. It’s become the norm, but this is when the character of the group really shows.
Jason Kidd
With a packed schedule and an injury report that keeps growing, the Mavericks are now searching for immediate answers. Managing Cooper Flagg has become a top priority: the talent is there, the impact is clear, but durability over the grind of a long NBA season remains a decisive variable.