Dusty May holds no hard feelings toward Aaron Nesmith over his play that left Cooper Flagg with a shoulder injury, but the Dallas Mavericks head coach admitted he wished the incident had never happened.
New Orleans Pelicans 120-123 10-22 Indiana Pacers
New Orleans Pelicans
Indiana Pacers 105-121 10-23 Dallas Mavericks
Dallas Mavericks
Brooklyn Nets Sun 22:00 Indiana Pacers
Brooklyn Nets
Milwaukee Bucks Tue 00:00 Indiana Pacers
Indiana Pacers
May addressed Nesmith’s role in the incident after providing a key update on Flagg’s injury condition following the Mavericks’ 121-105 road win over the Indiana Pacers on Friday
"Nesmith’s a great guy. A heck of a player. I’ve known him since he was in high school," May told reporters.
"Obviously, an unfortunate play. Hopefully Coop’s fine, and obviously it’s something we wish wouldn’t have happened."
Cooper Flagg suffers shoulder soreness after unsportsmanlike hit from Aaron Nesmith
Aaron Nesmith took a reckless hit on Cooper Flagg as he attempted to stop the Dallas Mavericks star for his breakaway dunk in the final moments of the first half.
Flagg crashed hard on the floor and grabbed his left shoulder, grimacing in pain. Nesmith's action triggered an altercation for both teams, as he was assessed a flagrant and a technical foul.
Flagg left the court afterwards and did not return with left shoulder soreness, ending his night with 14 points, six assists, five rebounds, and three steals in just 17 minutes.
Naji Marshall explains standing up for Cooper Flagg, reacts to Aaron Nesmith
Naji Marshall felt compelled to stand up and defend Cooper Flagg after his nasty fall and subsequent injury from Aaron Nesmith's hit.
Marshall immediately confronted the Indiana Pacers forward after Flagg landed on the ground, triggering a technical foul of his own.
"Just standing up for my teammate. I hang with him every day, so it just made sense," Marshall said of the incident.
When asked if Nesmith's action was a dirty play, Marshall responded: "It was what it was. Just part of the game."
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