Mavs Hold On After Cooper Flagg Injury to Beat Pacers For First Win

The Dallas Mavericks built a first-half lead as large as 37 points over the Indiana Pacers, and despite losing Cooper Flagg in the final minute of the second quarter due to a shoulder injury, held on for a 121-105 win at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Friday night.

Aaron Nesmith fouled Flagg on a fast-break layup, and the Mavs star landed hard on his left shoulder. After undergoing evaluations on the bench, Flagg was ruled out for the remainder of the game after 17 minutes played.

Nesmith's foul was upgraded to a flagrant-one penalty, and initiated an on-court scuffle involving Mavericks forward Naji Marshall, which ended in double technical fouls.

Flagg was 4-for-4 from the field with 12 points in the high-scoring first quarter before ending the game with 14 points, five rebounds and six assists.

Dallas earned its first win of the season after shooting nearly 70 percent from the field in the opening period, where the Mavs outscored the Pacers 44-27. The Mavericks scored 40 or more points in a quarter 15 times in the 2025-26 season, and only twice put up at least 44.

The momentum carried over from the Mavs' season-opening loss in Houston on Wednesday. Dallas shot 73 percent from the field in the second half - a high in one half since 2021 - but fell after a slow-shooting second quarter allowed the Rockets to go ahead for good.

Kyrie Irving passed Hall of Famer Dolph Shayes to move into No. 75 on the all-time scoring list by scoring a team-high 24 points against Indiana. Irving then moved passed Mavs legend Mark Aguirre to No. 74 on the list with a free throw late in the second quarter.

Irving would eventually foul out of the game for the first time in his career. The veteran point guard spoke postgame about showing up for Flagg, the Mavs' youngest player, after his injury.

"We're a family out there," Irving said.

Mavericks coach Dusty May, who grew up within an hour and a half of Indianapolis, earned his first win as an NBA head coach as the Pacers' comeback fell short and both teams emptied the benches in the waning moments.

Dallas (1-1) hosts the defending Western Conference champion San Antonio Spurs in the Mavs’ regular-season home opener at American Airlines Center on Saturday.

Indiana (1-1) plays at the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday.