Cooper Flagg forced out of Pacers game after suffering hard foul on fast break New York Times (Online) Christian Clark Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg was forced out of Friday's game in Indianapolis with a left shoulder injury after Indiana Pacers guard Aaron Nesmith fouled him on a fast-break opportunity. Flagg, whose team was ahead by 33 points, came up with a steal and had an open lane to the basket when he wound up for a dunk. Nesmith ran up behind him and administered a hard foul across Flagg's arm. Flagg crashed to the floor and immediately began clutching his left shoulder. While Flagg was in pain, his teammate, Naji Marshall, ran over to Nesmith and gave him a shove as players from both teams came face to face. Nesmith was given a flagrant 1 foul, while Marshall earned a technical. Nesmith was also given a technical. Flagg was able to return to the game to attempt free throws — he made both — but then headed to the locker room with 59.7 seconds remaining in the second quarter. The Mavericks later said Flagg would not return to the game because of left shoulder soreness. During the scuffle, Mavs guard Marcus Sasser and rookie forward Morez Johnson Jr. stood up from the bench and walked the baseline toward Flagg. Dallas assistant Willie Green appeared to implore both players to go back to the bench. During an altercation, players who are not in the game are to remain “in the immediate vicinity of their bench,” per NBA rules. If they do not, they could be subject to at least a one-game suspension without pay and a fine up to $50,000. Flagg, the reigning Rookie of the Year, was in the midst of a standout performance before exiting Friday's game prematurely. He tallied 14 points, five rebounds, six assists, three steals and one block in 17 minutes. The Mavericks went into halftime with a 77-45 lead over the Pacers. Flagg's status moving forward remains unclear. The Mavericks' home opener is Saturday against the San Antonio Spurs.