Mavericks beat the Pacers 121-105 but lose Cooper Flagg to a shoulder injury

The Dallas Mavericks beat the Indiana Pacers 121-105 on Friday night at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, but Cooper Flagg did not play the second half after hurting his left shoulder. Flagg, last season's Rookie of the Year, was fouled by Aaron Nesmith on what looked like a breakaway dunk, the Associated Press reported. Nesmith was called for a flagrant foul, and a double technical followed a brief shoving match.

Flagg had 15 points, five rebounds and six assists in 17 minutes before the injury. The Mavericks have not given an update on his status.

Kyrie Irving led Dallas with 24 points and made 5 of 10 3-pointers. P.J. Washington had 20 points and 13 rebounds, and Max Christie added 16. It was the first win for coach Dusty May, who grew up in Indiana. Naji Marshall had 15 points and six assists off the bench, and Zaccharie Risacher added 11 points and three blocks. Dallas blocked 11 shots as a team and scored 54 points in the paint.

Before he got hurt, Flagg went 4 for 6 from the field and made both of his 3-point attempts, adding three steals.

Dallas never trailed. A 22-6 first-quarter run made it 42-23, and 15 straight points in the second quarter pushed the lead to 61-31. The Mavericks led by as many as 37 and scored 31 points off 21 Indiana turnovers.

It was Tyrese Haliburton's first home game since the 2025 NBA Finals. He got a loud ovation during introductions and finished with 18 points, seven assists and six rebounds, though he went 0 for 4 from 3-point range. Pascal Siakam led the Pacers with 23 points. Indiana made 7 of 32 3-pointers. Andrew Nembhard scored 16, Obi Toppin had 13, and Ivica Zubac finished with nine points and 11 rebounds. The Pacers won the third quarter 33-21 and the fourth 29-23, but Dallas had built a 77-43 halftime lead that left too much ground to cover.

Both teams are 1-1. Dallas hosts San Antonio on Saturday, and Indiana visits Brooklyn on Sunday.