Cooper Flagg Leaves Game with Injury, Misses Blue Devils' Triumph

Cooper Flagg exited the game and made his way to the locker room after an awkward landing on his foot during the ACC tournament quarterfinals. The Duke freshman star sprained his left ankle late in the first half of the No. 1 Blue Devils’ win over Georgia Tech on Thursday. Flagg required assistance as he left the court and was later seen in a wheelchair heading to the X-ray room. Despite returning to the bench on his own, without a protective boot in the second half, he did not participate further in Duke’s 78-70 victory. Thankfully, X-rays showed no fractures, although the team’s medical staff noted significant swelling.

The Blue Devils also faced another setback when Maliq Brown dislocated his right shoulder again, forcing him to leave the game and seek medical attention. The top-ranked Blue Devils were down 26-17 late in the first half when Flagg attempted an uncontested rebound and took a fall, apparently landing his left foot on Georgia Tech’s Darrion Sutton’s foot. This year’s ACC player of the year and standout newcomer, Flagg hobbled back to the bench, visibly upset. He crouched with his hands resting on the seats and expressed his frustration by hitting a chair with his fist. After a few moments on the bench, Flagg, supported by two teammates, made his way to the locker room for further examination. Throughout the regular season, Flagg averaged 19.4 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 4.2 assists for the Blue Devils (28-3).