NBA Injuries Impact Recent Games As Flaggs And Brunson Sidelined

In a night shaped by injuries across the NBA, Jamal Murray powered Denver, DeMar DeRozan climbed another scoring milestone, and Donovan Mitchell drove Cleveland past Philadelphia, while Cooper Flagg, Jalen Brunson and Darius Garland all exited games with worrying issues that could affect their teams in the coming schedule.

The Denver Nuggets beat the Dallas Mavericks 118-109 behind 33 points from Murray, while the Sacramento Kings defeated the New York Knicks 112-101 and the Cleveland Cavaliers dominated the Philadelphia 76ers 133-107, on a night when poor three-point shooting and key ankle and foot problems marked all three contests.

Denver controlled most of the game against Dallas, helped by 22 points from Aaron Gordon and 18 from Peyton Watson,

as the Mavericks struggled badly from long range, shooting 5 of 34 from three-point distance for 14.7%, their lowest perimeter accuracy of the season.

The main drama for Dallas centred on No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg, who sprained the left ankle while defending Watson with 6:01 remaining in the second quarter, stumbling to the floor after being called for a foul, then limping to the locker room before briefly returning for the final 2:35 of the half.

Flagg, a 19-year-old former Duke standout, did not reappear after the interval and was later ruled out for the rest of the game, finishing with six points across 15 minutes, while Naji Marshall scored 24 points and Brandon Williams added 20 in a losing effort for Dallas against the Nuggets.

Cooper Flagg (left ankle sprain) will not return to tonight's game against the Denver Nuggets. Mavs PR (@MavsPR) January 15, 2026

Earlier in the night, DeMar DeRozan scored 27 points to move into 22nd on the NBA’s all-time scoring list, lifting the Kings to their third straight victory and a 112-101 win over the Knicks, spoiling Knicks coach Mike Brown’s first game back in Sacramento since being dismissed early in the 2024-25 season.

The Knicks lost leading scorer Jalen Brunson after only five minutes when the guard injured the right ankle, limping off after scoring four points, leaving Mikal Bridges to lead New York with 19 points, supported by OG Anunoby with 15 and Karl-Anthony Towns with 13, though the team shot just 39% overall.

New York’s outside shooting also faltered, going 8 of 41 from three-point range, while DeRozan, a six-time All-Star in the 17th season, shot 7 of 16 from the field, hit one three-pointer and made 12 of 13 free throws, reaching 26,077 career points and passing Hall of Famer Kevin Garnett’s 26,071.

beam bong! pic.twitter.com/oV7x4hBZ8q Sacramento Kings (@SacramentoKings) January 15, 2026

Cavaliers dominance and Garland NBA injury worry

In Philadelphia, Donovan Mitchell led the Cavaliers with 35 points and nine assists during a 133-107 win against the 76ers, while Darius Garland added 20 points before leaving in the third quarter with a right foot injury sustained while diving for a loose ball.

Garland, who had surgery in June on the big left toe that troubled the guard during Cleveland’s previous playoff exit, had been averaging 17.9 points after a slow start this season, and continued strong form here by shooting 8 for 13 from the field before being ruled out for the remainder.

Joel Embiid scored 20 points for Philadelphia, hitting a three-pointer that took the centre to 13,000 career points, becoming the seventh player in franchise history to reach that total, while Paul George added 17 points as frustrated 76ers fans booed the team during the third quarter when the deficit grew to 75-53.

CAVS WIN! #LetEmKnow pic.twitter.com/OlwMySlBO8 Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) January 15, 2026

Across the three games, injuries to Flagg, Brunson and Garland stood out alongside strong individual displays by Murray, DeRozan and Mitchell, while poor perimeter shooting hurt both Dallas and New York, leaving medical reports and shooting adjustments as major talking points heading into the next round of NBA fixtures.