Flagg battled through a first-quarter scare, but his shooting slump isn't about his foot. Will he play against the Raptors?
TORONTO — Cooper Flagg knows he has not been shooting the ball well since returning from a left midfoot sprain. He also knows the foot is not the reason why.
The Dallas Mavericks rookie made that distinction clear after Friday's 120-100 road loss to the Boston Celtics, acknowledging a first-quarter injury scare while making no apologies for his decision to keep pushing through a foot he has been managing for weeks.
"It was a little awkward," Flagg said. "It was a little sore, but it was something I could play through. It was a little tender, but nothing I couldn't deal with."
Flagg went to the floor in the opening period at TD Garden, slipping on the same foot that had cost him eight games earlier this month. The Mavericks called a timeout while the training staff assessed him on the bench. He went through movement drills and stretching before getting on the stationary bike near the tunnel. He did not return until the 7:29 mark of the second quarter.
Once back, Flagg played the rest of the game without restriction. He finished with 16 points, eight rebounds, and six assists in 30 minutes, shooting 7-for-23 from the field. A night earlier in Orlando, operating under a 20-to-25-minute limit in his first game back from the injury, he had gone 7-for-22 while recording 18 points, six assists and four blocks in a 115-114 loss. Over those two games, he has shot 14-for-45.
The shooting numbers do not reflect the full picture of what Flagg has provided since coming back. He blocked three shots in the fourth quarter of Thursday's game in Orlando and added four blocks and six assists against Boston. Still, the questions about whether the foot is affecting his offensive rhythm are understandable — and Flagg does not dispute that the rhythm is off.
"I'm getting to my spots and taking the shots I want," he said. "They're just not falling right now. It's about getting my rhythm and touch back, and I'm not worried about it."
Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said Flagg's mentality after going down in the first quarter was exactly what Dallas needed. He pointed to a late sequence in Thursday's Orlando game — Flagg blocking a shot at one end, then drawing an and-one at the other — as evidence of what the 19-year-old is capable of when he locks in.
"It wasn't just his points," Kidd said. "He had some incredible blocks. When he got a little upset after the whistle — when he got hit — I thought his energy and intent picked up on the defensive end and he got us going."
Kidd was equally direct about Flagg's performance in Boston.
"He hurt his foot early but came back and kept competing," Kidd said. "He's a tough kid."
Flagg is listed as questionable for Sunday's game in Toronto, his third game in four days since returning from the injury. He leads the Mavericks with averages of 20.3 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 4.2 assists. Dallas is 21-42, has lost six consecutive games, and is 2-8 over its last 10.
The Raptors are 35-27 and fifth in the Eastern Conference. Start time at Scotiabank Arena is 5 p.m. CST.