CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Duke star Cooper Flagg left his team's Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament quarterfinal game on Thursday with a left ankle injury and had to be helped to the locker room.
The top-ranked Blue Devils were trailing by 26-17 late in the first half when Flagg went up for a rebound and crashed to the floor after he appeared to have his left foot land on the foot of Georgia Tech’s Darrion Sutton. He hobbled back to the bench in clear distress, then bent over with his hands on the seats and pounded a chair with his right fist.
After sitting on the bench for a few minutes, Flagg got up and put his arms around two teammates and was taken to the locker room for observation. He was later shown in a wheelchair in the bowels of the Spectrum Center, possibly being taken for X-rays. The team listed him as doubtful to return to the game.
Duke entered the game 28-3 but got off to a rough start missing its first 13 3-point shots to fall behind 14 to the unranked Yellow Jackets. The Blue Devils also lost Maliq Brown to a shoulder injury, with the team ruling him out.
Duke clawed back to within five at the break.
Flagg was named the ACC player and newcomer of the year on Tuesday by The Associated Press.
Duke was projected as the likely No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament coming into the game after taking over the top spot in the rankings this week. The Blue Devils had won eight straight games before the ACC Tournament.
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