Spurs visit Mavericks with Dallas star Cooper Flagg out injured
Archived — this story has rotated out of today’s deck. It is kept here in full.
The gist
The 0-2 Spurs face the Mavericks in Dallas with Dallas forward Cooper Flagg listed out with a shoulder injury.
Both teams are on the second night of a back-to-back, so fatigue and Flagg's status shape the game.
Background
The San Antonio Spurs, reigning Western Conference champions, are coached by Mitch Johnson and built around center Victor Wembanyama. The Dallas Mavericks, coached by Dusty May, are missing forward Cooper Flagg, the reigning Rookie of the Year, who is listed out with a left shoulder injury. San Antonio has won five straight in the series, including a 4-0 sweep last season, and leads the all-time regular-season matchup 120-87.
How it unfolded
- Apr 10, 2026The Spurs beat the Mavericks 139-120 at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio.
- Oct 21, 2026The Spurs lose their season opener to Oklahoma City 116-104.
- Oct 22, 2026The Mavericks lose at Houston 128-110.
- Oct 23, 2026The Spurs fall to 0-2 with a 114-110 home loss to Houston; Amen Thompson blocked Wembanyama's game-tying layup attempt with under a second left.
- Oct 24, 2026The Mavericks beat Indiana 121-105 for Dusty May's first win with the franchise, but Cooper Flagg injures his left shoulder in the second quarter and sits out the second half.
- Oct 24, 2026Flagg is listed out (shoulder) for Dallas; the Spurs list Tobias Harris (calf) and Jayden Quaintance (knee) out. Odds list the Spurs as 12.5-point favorites with an over/under of 231.5.
Who’s saying what
- Analysts
- Action Network staff pick the Spurs to cover -12.5 and get their first win, with Naji Marshall picking up scoring slack for Dallas.
- Analysts
- SB Nation's Jeje Gomez writes that the Spurs would have been favorites even without the Flagg injury and should win if urgency and execution are there.
Still unverified
Flagg's availability was being monitored closely after the shoulder injury; he is listed out in previews, but the Spurs' injury list is noted as subject to change because of the back-to-back. ESPN lists Kyrie Irving, Caleb Martin, Jett Howard, Tarik Biberovic and Santi Aldama as game-time decisions.