A second-quarter collision in Indianapolis changed the tone of the night fast.
With a minute left before halftime in the Mavericks’ game against the Pacers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Aaron Nesmith put a hard foul on Cooper Flagg during a transition chance, and the 19-year-old landed injured on his left shoulder. The contact set off a brawl on the floor as both teams rushed in.
Naji Marshall and P.J. Washington went straight at Nesmith, while teammates and coaching staff jumped in to break things up. Pascal Siakam and Ivica Zubac pulled Nesmith away from the scrum for Indiana, and Daniel Gafford helped calm things down for Dallas.
Nesmith was hit with a flagrant one for the play. Flagg, the former first overall pick, headed to the locker room in pain and did not return, sitting out the rest of the game with “left shoulder soreness,” which can be argued to be an encouraging sign right now.
The reaction online was immediate. With Dallas already up by 33 at the time, plenty of fans saw the foul as a dirty, unnecessary one. Social media lit up with anger over the play, including comments like:
“They down by like 80 and this what they doin??”
“He should be suspended. Unbelievably dirty play, not a play on the ball; the most dangerous play you can make is when a guy is airborne on a fast break like that. Get him out of here.”
“That’s a dirty a- play.”
“Doing this down 33 in the second game of the season is crazy.”
“Genuinely should be suspended; we all know what and why he did that. Will never understand how players get away with doing something that might leave a player out for months.”
“These types of actions require serious sanctions.”
Before the injury, Flagg had filled up the box score with 14 points, five rebounds, six assists, three steals, and one block. He shot 4-for-6 from the field and 2-for-2 from three.
Nesmith’s night was rough even before the incident. He had just two points in the first half and finished with nine points, four rebounds, and one assist, going 2-for-7 from the field and 1-for-5 from beyond the arc.
The Pacers were hoping for a different kind of spotlight with Tyrese Haliburton making his first home appearance back from injury. Instead, Indiana took a 105-121 loss. The Pacers now head on the road to face the Nets on Sunday, October 25.
Dallas, meanwhile, picked up its first regular season win of the year on the opening night of a back-to-back. The Mavericks are back home against the Spurs in Dallas tomorrow night, October 24.
In Other News...
Pacers Home Opener Turned Ugly After Aaron Nesmith Set Off Chaos
Tyrese Haliburtons return to Gainbridge Fieldhouse for his first home game back from an Achilles injury should have been the emotional centerpiece of the night. Instead, the Pacers opener against Dallas took a sharp turn when Aaron Nesmith delivered a hard foul on Cooper Flagg, a play that quickly shifted the tone inside the building and put the focus on a sequence far removed from the welcome-back mood Indiana had hoped to create.
Flagg landed awkwardly and left with a left shoulder injury, then was ruled out for the rest of the game, leaving the Mavericks to regroup after the collision. The aftermath brought technical fouls for both Nesmith and Naji Marshall, a reminder of how quickly a regular-season home date can turn chippy when emotions run high and the games biggest moments start coming with an edge. [Read more 🡒]
Pacers Suddenly Have A Real TJ McConnell Decision To Make
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The bigger question is what happens when McConnell is ready to return. Indiana does not have many obvious alternatives behind the lead guards, and players such as Braden Smith and Kobe Brown are not yet ready or suited to take on that job full time. Jacksons showing has at least made this a real conversation for Carlisle and the Pacers, with the coming weeks likely to determine whether this is a temporary patch or something closer to a new order in the backcourt. [Read more 🡒]
Pacers Loss Took A Dark Turn After Aaron Nesmith Hit Cooper Flagg
A late-season game that already had a bit of edge to it turned downright testy when Aaron Nesmith wrapped up Cooper Flagg on a fastbreak dunk attempt, drawing a flagrant foul and setting off a brief confrontation that spilled into technicals for Nesmith and Naji Marshall. The Pacers and Mavericks had been trading physical plays and sharp words before that sequence, but the tone shifted in a hurry once Flagg hit the floor and the officials had to sort through the aftermath.
For Indiana, the bigger concern is the status of Flagg, who was left with left shoulder soreness and will be evaluated over the coming days. Even in a game full of heated exchanges and whistles, that kind of collision tends to linger beyond the final buzzer, and it leaves the Pacers waiting to see whether the hard foul turns into a more serious issue for one of the games young headliners. [Read more 🡒]