The Dallas Mavericks got a double black eye on Monday against the Oklahoma City Thunder. They lost their third game of the season, and Cooper Flagg suffered a shoulder injury in the first quarter.
According to ESPN’s Tim MacMahon, Flagg played through a sore shoulder in the Mavericks’ 101-94 loss to the defending NBA champions. His left shoulder was heavily wrapped when he was on the bench and played through the injury. He seemingly suffered the injury while boxing out Isaiah Hartenstein for a rebound, as reported by Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News.
Speaking to reporters after the game, the No. 1 pick of the 2025 NBA draft shared a positive update on his shoulder injury.
“We’re going to probably get some scans or whatever, make sure everything’s all clean, but I feel like it’s just a little sore. Just want to keep an eye on it, ice it, do some rehab and should be good to go,” Flagg said, via ESPN.
The Mavs have no games scheduled for Wednesday, with their five-game homestand to start the season set to end on Thursday against the Indiana Pacers. Flagg finished the loss to the Thunder with just two points, two rebounds and two steals. He was an abysmal 1-for-10 from the field, which could be attributed to his shoulder injury.
Flagg Still Adjusting to NBA Schedule
In addition to facing the defending NBA champions Oklahoma City Thunder, the Dallas Mavericks were also playing the second game of a back-to-back. It was Cooper Flagg’s first back-to-back game of his career, and he was coming off a fantastic night against the Toronto Raptors on Sunday.
However, it was a different story going up against one of the best perimeter-defending teams in the league. The Thunder put the pressure on Flagg, who was playing his fourth game as a point guard. The reigning champs were missing Jalen Williams and Alex Caruso, but they were still able to clamp the star rookie.
Flagg told the media after the game how he’s still adjusting to the tight NBA schedule, especially the back-to-backs.
“I think in general, one of the biggest differences from college to this level is handling and preparing for a back-to-back like that, physically. That was something I was going through tonight anyway, just being a little flat. A little banged up, but you gotta find ways to play through it to be successful,” Flagg said, via The Dallas Morning News.
Flagg’s shoulder was heavily wrapped while talking to reporters in the locker room. However, there was no indication from him, as well as coach Jason Kidd, that it was something serious.
Kidd Praises Flagg for Playing Through Injury
Dallas Mavericks coach Jason Kidd was impressed with Cooper Flagg’s toughness and willingness to play despite feeling sore. Flagg played 30 minutes with a shoulder injury, with Kidd limiting him in the fourth quarter.
According to Lorenzo Reyes of USA Today, Kidd removed Flagg from the game with 8:14 left in regulation. The Thunder were up big at that point, but the Mavs made a furious comeback. Flagg was subbed back into the game at the 1:25 mark for defensive purposes.
However, D’Angelo Russell missed a game-tying 3-point shot with 25 seconds remaining. The defending champions won the free-throw game to improve to 4-0 for the season, while Dallas dropped to 1-3.
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