As the matchup between the Dallas Mavericks and the LA Clippers tipped off tonight at the Intuit Dome, one key presence was missing. Dallas forward PJ Washington, one of the team’s standout pieces in a disastrous early-season campaign, was out of the starting lineup and wasn’t even on the bench. What happened to him?

It was later revealed by reporter Lesley McCaslin that the incident occurred before the game even started. According to her, Washington “fell on a loose basketball under the basket” during pre-game work, a random and bizarre accident that left fans reading the report confused about what had happened.

Soon afterward, the Mavericks made an announcement, listing him as ‘questionable’ to return, and about 20 minutes later, was ruled out for the game. According to the team, Washington suffered a sprained right ankle.

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Coming into tonight, Washington was set to be the second best player on a struggling Mavericks team, with Anthony Davis set to sit out the second night of a back-to-back after returning against the Los Angeles Lakers after a 14-game absence caused by a calf strain. Apart from Davis, the team is also missing their center duo of Dereck Lively, who is being evaluated for swelling in his right foot, and Daniel Gafford, who has dealt with right ankle soreness throughout the season after spraining it in training camp before the season.

This leaves Dallas’ frontcourt rotation extremely thin, with only Moussa Cisse and Dwight Powell available to run the five. The Mavericks have opted for a smaller lineup, going with Naji Marshall at forward along with Cooper Flagg.

Washington already faced injury earlier this season, when, during a game against the Phoenix Suns, he exited the game early due to a left shoulder strain, and missed their following game against the Clippers. Now, the team risks another possible absence that can extend past their current matchup.

With PJ Washington Out and Anthony Davis Resting, Spotlight Shifts to Cooper Flagg

The Dallas Mavericks entered tonight’s matchup on yet another early-season skid; the team has lost three straight games, and on the second night of a back-to-back, are missing stalwart defensive anchor Anthony Davis. Now, with PJ Washington’s freak accident, the team is also missing their leading scorer from yesterday’s NBA Cup matchup vs the Los Angeles Lakers.

That puts the spotlight right on rookie #1 pick Cooper Flagg, who has gained consistency and composure after being relieved of point guard duties. Since his move to small forward on November 5th, the rookie has averaged a solid 17 points along with 6.6 rebounds and 3.9 assists, as well as an impressive 1.8 steals. He logged a season-high 11 assists against the Lakers, and is looking to beat a Clippers team without any secondary stars that they previously faced in a double-overtime thriller two weeks ago.

The Clippers are dealing with problems of their own. Kawhi Leonard is on a minutes restriction after a return from an injured ankle, while offensive engine James Harden is playing through a sore foot after logging 40 minutes in the team’s previous match against the Memphis Grizzlies. With both teams navigating injuries, late game execution will be the deciding factor.