3 overreactions as Mavericks lose Cooper Flagg to injury in loss to Nuggets

The Dallas Mavericks hosted the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday evening, hoping to pick up their third win of the season against one of the premier teams in the West. It has been a weird year for the Dallas Mavericks as they entered this game 10 games below .500, but had picked up two wins against the third-best team in the Western Conference when Nikola Jokic was playing in both of those games.

Jokic didn't play in this one, but neither did Anthony Davis or Kyrie Irving. And that only got worse after Cooper Flagg left midway through the game with an ankle injury. He left in the second quarter, came back before halftime, and then was ruled out after halftime. So you think this wouldn't have been worth watching.

Cooper Flagg injury.

He was being taken to the hoop, landed on his left ankle weird, sprained it.

Prayers up 🙏 pic.twitter.com/UmbuTMnb7s
— SM Highlights (@SMHighlights1) January 15, 2026

And it looked to be that way. The Nuggets built up a lead as large as 23 in the third quarter. But all of a sudden, the rag-tag Mavs started chipping away. It was 84-61 with 4:30 remaining in the third, but a minute into the fourth, it was 88-83. Dallas went on a 23-4 run fueled by Brandon Williams, Naji Marshall, and... Caleb Martin???

Denver would build the lead back up 16 midway through the fourth, but the Mavs refused to go away again. After a few traded baskets, the Nuggets' lead was 108-93 with 5:36 left. Dallas ripped off a 14-5 run that got them back within six points. Brandon Williams was again the catalyst for this spark, but they would never cut the lead below six, and the Nuggets would go on to win 118-109.

This game ended Cooper Flagg's 39 consecutive games scoring in double figures, as he had 6 points before he was ruled out. Daniel Gafford was also ruled out with an ankle injury that has plagued him all year. But that shouldn't discount the big performances from Naji Marshall (24 points) and Brandon Williams (20 points).

Here are three overreactions from the loss that dropped the Mavs to 15-26.

1. Caleb Martin Looked Playable. Trade Him While You Can

Jan 14, 2026; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward Caleb Martin (16) dunks the ball against the Denver Nuggets during the second half at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

In Caleb Martin's previous 33 games as a Maverick, he averaged 1.8 PPG and had never scored more than 9 points in a game. He blew that out of the water on Wednesday night, putting up 15 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 steals. With one game, he upped his season output to 2.1 PPG, which is a big jump this late in the season.

It's going to be hard to find anyone willing to take that contract, but he at least looked like a rotation player on Wednesday night. That's more than we could say at any other point since he was traded for Quentin Grimes.

2. The Mavericks May Lose, But They Will Go Down Fighting

Jan 8, 2026; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Dallas Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd reacts after a play against the Utah Jazz during the first quarter at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images | Rob Gray-Imagn Images

This is definitely a credit to Jason Kidd, as the Dallas Mavericks rarely lose in a blowout when he's coaching. And today was another example of that. They entered without Anthony Davis and Kyrie Irving, then lost Cooper Flagg and Daniel Gafford halfway through the game. And yet, they never gave up. They still lost, which is what they need to do the rest of the way, but the fight is admirable.

3. Cooper Flagg Shouldn't Have Returned to This Game

Jan 14, 2026; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg (32) grabs his ankle as he falls to the floor during the second quarter against the Denver Nuggets at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

I get Cooper Flagg wants to tough things out, but he just rolled this ankle on Monday against the Brooklyn Nets. And then he rolls the same ankle two days later. He should never have returned the game. There's no reason to risk his health in a game like this when the season is already trending toward the lottery.

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3 overreactions as Cooper Flagg's brilliance leads Mavericks to win over Nuggets