Mavericks sideline rookie Cooper Flagg for Friday matchup with Timberwolves
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MINNEAPOLIS — Dallas Mavericks rookie Cooper Flagg will not play Friday night against the Minnesota Timberwolves because of a left mid-foot sprain, head coach Jason Kidd said Thursday.
The 19-year-old forward, selected No. 1 overall last June, has been listed as day-to-day since the injury occurred during a Feb. 10 loss at Phoenix. The sprain also kept him out of last weekend’s Rising Stars event and the Mavericks’ Feb. 13 defeat to the Los Angeles Lakers, the club’s ninth straight loss and its longest skid since 1998.
An MRI confirmed the injury, according to the team. Friday’s game will be the sixth Flagg has missed this season. He is averaging 20.4 points and 6.6 assists.
During the All-Star break, the former Duke standout attended two games at his alma mater. He was photographed in a walking boot at Cameron Indoor Stadium last Saturday, but a team photo posted Thursday showed him without the boot as he prepared to board the flight to Minnesota. Dallas continues its road trip with two more away games after visiting the Timberwolves.
The Mavericks are 19-35 and sit outside the Western Conference playoff picture. They hold a lottery position for the second consecutive year after landing Flagg last summer with just a 1.8% chance of securing the top pick.
Source: ESPN.com
