Cooper Flagg to Miss First NBA Game of His Rookie Season on Wednesday vs. Knicks

The No. 1 pick had played in all 15 Mavericks games leading up to Wednesday.

Mavericks rookie Cooper Flagg will miss his first NBA game because of an illness. / Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images

Cooper Flagg will miss his first NBA game on Wednesday night when his Mavericks face the Knicks, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported hours before tip-off. The game is a nationally televised matchup on ESPN at 8:30 p.m. ET.

The No. 1 pick has been dealing with an unknown illness for the last 48 hours, Charania noted. Dallas faces the Pelicans on Friday, so Flagg has a chance to return later this week as long as he’s feeling better.

As Charania notes, Flagg appeared on the Mavericks’ injury report on Tuesday with the illness as well as a right thumb sprain. He’s been playing through the sprain.

Through all 15 games so far this season, Flagg is averaging 15.5 points, 6.3 rebounds and 3.1 assists per contest. He has Dallas’s best scoring average apart from Anthony Davis, who has only competed in five games and is also out with an injury.

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