Cooper Flagg Leaves Mavericks Game Against Nuggets With Sprained Ankle

Cooper Flagg sprained his ankle against the Nuggets Wednesday | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Cooper Flagg left the Mavericks game against the Nuggets Wednesday night. He did not return to the game, and the team described his injury as being a left ankle sprain.

The No. 1 pick in this year’s NBA draft rolled his ankle while defending Denver forward Peyton Watson in the paint. Flagg went to the locker room but returned to the game, then the Mavs announced the 19-year-old star wouldn’t return to the game at halftime.

He rolled his left ankle during Dallas’s 113–105 win over the Nets Monday, but he returned to the game and led the Mavs with 27 points. He left Wednesday’s game against the Nuggets with six points on 3-for-9 shooting, plus one rebound, one assist and a block in 15 minutes of play. The Duke product and new face of the Mavericks is averaging 19.1 points, 6.4 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 1.3 steals per game thus far in his rookie season.

Flagg has appeared in all but one of the Mavs’ games this season, only missing a Nov. 19 contest against the Knicks due to an illness. He’s tied with Hornets rookie Kon Knueppel for the scoring lead across NBA rookies, with the fourth pick in the draft and Flagg’s college teammate averaging 19.1 points a night for Charlotte.

Should Flagg miss considerable time, it would be another blow for Dallas who’s without star big man Anthony Davis as he recovers from a hand injury and will be re-evaluated in six weeks amid trade rumors while the franchise looks to build around its young star.

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