Photo: Dallas Mavericks/X

Cooper Flagg’s night came to an early end in Wednesday’s 118–109 loss to the Denver Nuggets, as the rookie forward was unable to take the floor after halftime because of a sprained ankle.

The injury occurred late in the second quarter when Flagg was defending Peyton Watson, and he was visibly shaken as he headed to the bench with just over six minutes remaining before the break.

Although Flagg briefly tried to test the ankle and return later in the quarter, it quickly became clear that continuing wasn’t realistic.

He exited the floor with a noticeable limp and was officially ruled out at halftime, leaving the Dallas Mavericks shorthanded for the remainder of the game.

The injury issues didn’t stop there for Dallas. Daniel Gafford was forced to leave in the third quarter after aggravating an ankle issue of his own.

Gafford had previously dealt with a similar sprain during training camp, and the team opted not to risk further damage once discomfort resurfaced.

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