Mavericks’ Cooper Flagg exits with left ankle sprain against Nuggets
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Dallas Mavericks rookie forward Cooper Flagg was sidelined for the second half of Wednesday night’s matchup with the Denver Nuggets after spraining his left ankle late in the second quarter.
The injury occurred with 6:01 remaining before halftime at American Airlines Center when Flagg twisted the ankle while defending Denver wing Peyton Watson. Whistled for a foul on the play, the No. 1 overall pick immediately limped off the court and headed to the locker room accompanied by Mavericks athletic trainer Jana Austin.
Flagg returned to action at the 2:35 mark but was seen grimacing on several possessions. Early in the third quarter, the team announced he had been ruled out for the rest of the game.
Wednesday’s mishap marked the second straight contest in which Flagg turned the same ankle. He briefly left Monday’s win over the Brooklyn Nets, then re-entered after having the ankle re-taped.
The 19-year-old remains the frontrunner for Rookie of the Year, entering the night averaging 19.1 points, 6.4 rebounds and 4.3 assists. He has appeared in every game this season except a Nov. 19 loss to the New York Knicks, which he missed because of illness.
Source: ESPN
