ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Mavericks rookie Cooper Flagg was back in the starting lineup for Dallas against the Orlando Magic on Thursday night after missing eight games with a foot injury. He had a mixed return to action.

The No. 1 pick in last year’s NBA draft was sidelined with a left mid-foot sprain and had last played at Phoenix on Feb. 10. But, the Mavericks didn’t hesitate to go directly to their rookie star in crunch time.

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