Will Mavericks stars Anthony Davis, Cooper Flagg play against battered Pacers?

The Dallas Mavericks will be ending their five-game homestand against the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday night, hoping to avoid a 1-4 start, while also hoping to avoid giving the Pacers their first win of the season. And this is already a contender to be the most injured game of the 2025-26 NBA season.

There are two big new injury concerns for the Mavericks: Cooper Flagg and Anthony Davis. Flagg was seen with a wrap on his left shoulder in the second half on Monday night against the OKC Thunder, and he had a bad performance, putting up just 2 points, 2 rebounds, and no assists. However, the Mavs did not list him on their initial injury report for this game.

One new name to the injury report, however, was Anthony Davis, who is listed as "probable" with "bilateral achilles tendinopathy." Long story short, it's soreness in both Achilles tendons that comes from overuse/stress, which is not what you want to hear for AD.

Oct 22, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward Anthony Davis (3) in action during the game against the San Antonio Spurs at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

Full Mavericks-Pacers Injury Report

Anthony Davis being on the injury report is concerning enough, but when Dallas' center tandem of Dereck Lively II (right knee contusion) and Daniel Gafford (right ankle sprain) are both doubtful to play, the Mavericks could be left in a tricky situation with their center rotation. They used P.J. Washington at center at times last game, so we could see more of that on Wednesday night.

Meanwhile, their point guard rotation is also still looking lackluster. Kyrie Irving (left knee ACL recovery) and Dante Exum (right knee injury management) are still out, while Brandon Williams is questionable for personal reasons. According to Ron Harrod Jr. of DLLS Mavs, Williams was arrested at the DFW airport for possession of marijuana.

And then there's the Indiana Pacers, who have a whopping eight players already on the injury report a week into the season, with seven of them being out. That includes three of their starters.

Sep 29, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (0) poses for a photo during media day. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images | Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

Tyrese Haliburton could miss the whole season as he recovers from his Achilles injury. They moved Andrew Nembhard to the starting point guard, and he hasn't played since the first game because of a left shoulder injury, so he won't be able to play against his brother, Ryan, in their first matchup against each other. And their backup, TJ McConnell, hasn't played all season because of a left hamstring injury.

The Pacers will also be without Bennedict Mathurin (right great toe sprain), Johnny Furphy (left foot bone bruise), Kam Jones (lower back stress reaction), and Obi Toppin (right foot stress reaction), while Taelon Peter is doubtful to play with a right groin strain.

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