Cooper Flagg, who averages 19.1 points and 6.4 rebounds, was forced to leave Wednesday’s game in the first half with a sprained ankle.
DALLAS (AP) — Dallas Mavericks rookie Cooper Flagg was ruled out of the second half of the game against Denver on Wednesday night after spraining his left ankle during the first half.
Flagg was called for a foul while defending against Peyton Watson and twisted his ankle when he fell to the floor with 6:01 left in the second quarter. Flagg limped back to the bench and headed to the locker room, only to return for the final 2:35 before intermission.
The 19-year-old did not come out of the locker room for the second half until it was announced that he would miss the game.
Flagg injured the same ankle two nights earlier and left the game briefly to get it taped before returning and leading Dallas with 27 points in one game. Beat Brooklyn 113-105.
“He stepped on someone’s toe,” coach Jason Kidd said. “He twisted his ankle in the last game as well. We decided to keep him out for the second half.”
Kidd said he doesn’t know if Flagg or center Daniel Gafford, who was unavailable to reporters after the game, will play in Thursday night’s second game against Utah. Gafford was sidelined in the second half of the game against Denver due to a sprained right ankle that has bothered him most of the season.
Flagg was playing in his 40th game, three more than he played in his only season at Duke, where he led the Blue Devils to the Final Four. Associated Press Men’s player of the year.
Flagg missed just one game in the Mavericks’ first 41 games.Due to illness in November. Kia’s Rookie of the Year candidate is averaging 18.8 points and 6.3 rebounds.
Before Gafford left, the Mavericks were already without their top two frontcourt players in 10-time All-Star Anthony Davis and young center Derek Lively II.
Davis is expected to be out for about six weeks with a torn ligament in his left hand, and Lively will miss the season after undergoing foot surgery.
“This is a difficult time for us,” Kidd said. “We’ve had a lot of injuries. … We’ve been hurt since the first day of training camp. That’s normal. That character has shown through some down and tough times. But we keep fighting.”