# Mavericks beat Pacers 121-105 as Cooper Flagg exits with shoulder soreness

Kyrie Irving scored 24 points as Dallas spoiled Tyrese Haliburton’s home return, though Flagg’s second-quarter injury became the central concern after the final horn.

By The Signal Edition | Sports / NBA
Published: 2026-10-23T23:22:00Z
Updated: 2026-10-24T05:10:00Z
Canonical: https://www.thesignaledition.com/article/mavericks-pacers-live-1pqqfwh
Image: https://www.thesignaledition.com/media/90e1f898b63a19f8c3fae2d0283de5eb.avif (Overhead view of a basketball court in a professional arena; credit: Kyle Richards / Unsplash)

## Summary
- Dallas beat Indiana 121-105 after building a 77-43 halftime lead.
- Kyrie Irving led the Mavericks with 24 points; Pascal Siakam led Indiana with 23.
- Cooper Flagg left with left shoulder soreness after a Flagrant 1 foul and did not return.
- Tyrese Haliburton scored 18 points with seven assists in his first Pacers home game in 490 days.

## Dallas builds an early cushion

The Dallas Mavericks defeated the Indiana Pacers 121-105 on Friday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, giving first-year coach Dusty May his first NBA victory and leaving both teams 1-1. Kyrie Irving scored a game-high 24 points, including five three-pointers, while P.J. Washington added 20 points and 13 rebounds. Dallas controlled the first half with a 44-point opening quarter and a 15-0 second-quarter run, taking a 77-43 lead into halftime. [1](https://www.reuters.com/sports/basketball/mavericks-beat-pacers-cooper-flagg-leaves-with-shoulder-soreness--flm-2026-10-24/) [2](https://www.nba.com/game/dal-vs-ind-0022600095)

Indiana narrowed the deficit in the second half but never erased Dallas’s advantage. Pascal Siakam led the Pacers with 23 points, while Tyrese Haliburton scored 18 and handed out seven assists in his first home appearance since an Achilles injury ended his 2024-25 postseason. The final box score confirmed Dallas improved to 1-1 and Indiana fell to the same record. [1](https://www.reuters.com/sports/basketball/mavericks-beat-pacers-cooper-flagg-leaves-with-shoulder-soreness--flm-2026-10-24/) [3](https://www.espn.com/nba/game/_/gameId/401909844/mavericks-pacers)

## Flagg injury tempers the win

The result was overshadowed by an injury to Cooper Flagg late in the second quarter. Aaron Nesmith fouled Flagg from behind on a fast break with 59.7 seconds left in the half, sending him hard to the floor. Officials assessed Nesmith a Flagrant 1. Flagg made both free throws but did not return after halftime because of left shoulder soreness. [1](https://www.reuters.com/sports/basketball/mavericks-beat-pacers-cooper-flagg-leaves-with-shoulder-soreness--flm-2026-10-24/) [2](https://www.nba.com/game/dal-vs-ind-0022600095)

Flagg finished with 14 points, five rebounds, six assists and three steals in 17 minutes. Dallas coach Dusty May said the forward would be evaluated over the next several days, leaving the severity and any possible absence unresolved. Irving later fouled out, while the Mavericks’ defense finished with 11 blocked shots and 10 steals. [1](https://www.reuters.com/sports/basketball/mavericks-beat-pacers-cooper-flagg-leaves-with-shoulder-soreness--flm-2026-10-24/) [2](https://www.nba.com/game/dal-vs-ind-0022600095)

Dallas next returns home to play San Antonio on Saturday, while Indiana is scheduled to visit Brooklyn on Sunday. Flagg’s medical evaluation is the main issue to monitor after a road win that otherwise answered Dallas’s season-opening loss in Houston. [1](https://www.reuters.com/sports/basketball/mavericks-beat-pacers-cooper-flagg-leaves-with-shoulder-soreness--flm-2026-10-24/) [3](https://www.espn.com/nba/game/_/gameId/401909844/mavericks-pacers)

## Reporting sources
1. [Reuters: Mavericks beat Pacers as Cooper Flagg leaves with shoulder soreness](https://www.reuters.com/sports/basketball/mavericks-beat-pacers-cooper-flagg-leaves-with-shoulder-soreness--flm-2026-10-24/) (2026-10-24)
2. [NBA / Associated Press: Mavericks lose Flagg to injury and ruin Haliburton’s home return with 121-105 win](https://www.nba.com/game/dal-vs-ind-0022600095) (2026-10-23)
3. [ESPN: Mavericks 121-105 Pacers final score](https://www.espn.com/nba/game/_/gameId/401909844/mavericks-pacers) (2026-10-23)