DALLAS (AP) – Cooper Flagg’s impressive rookie season came to an abrupt end after the Dallas Mavericks’ No. 1 pick suffered an ankle sprain during the final game against the Chicago Bulls on Sunday night.
Flagg exited the court favoring his left ankle in the second quarter and was quickly ruled out for the remainder of the game. The 19-year-old is competing with former Duke teammate Kon Knueppel for the title of Rookie of the Year.
Injury Details and Season Performance
The exact circumstances surrounding Flagg’s injury remain unclear. Prior to leaving the game, he had scored 10 points and grabbed four rebounds in just 10 minutes of play. He concluded the season averaging 21.0 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 4.5 assists over 70 games.
Mavericks’ Season Struggles
The Mavericks have been out of playoff contention for several weeks, following a season that began with high hopes but deteriorated due to ongoing injury issues with Anthony Davis, who was eventually traded to Washington. Davis’ absence also resulted in Kyrie Irving being sidelined for the entire season after suffering an ACL tear in March 2025.
Historic Achievements
Despite the team’s struggles, Flagg continued to break records, highlighted by a remarkable 96-point performance over two games during the penultimate weekend of the season. This included a historic 51-point game against Orlando, making him the first NBA teenager to score at least 50 points in a game, surpassing his own previous record of 49 points.
Last year, Flagg led Duke to the Final Four, becoming only the fourth freshman to be named The Associated Press men’s basketball player of the year. The Mavericks’ victory in the lottery, with a mere 1.8% chance, allowed them to secure Flagg in the draft.
Flagg and Michael Jordan are the only rookies to achieve multiple games of at least 45 points since the NBA-ABA merger in the 1976-77 season. Earlier this month, Flagg scored 45 points against LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers, breaking the record for the most 40-point games by a teenager.