Nowitzki has knee bone bruise, day-to-day
DALLAS — One more big name was added to the lengthy Dallas Mavericks injury report after an MRI revealed star forward Dirk Nowitzki has a bone bruise in his right knee.
Coach Rick Carlisle said Nowitzki suffered the injury when he fell early in Monday’s Game 2 victory. Nowitzki will be listed as day-to-day.
“We hope this is not something that’s [causing] him to miss any time,” Carlisle said Tuesday.
Nowitzki, who had 17 points on 7-of-19 shooting and 4 rebounds while playing 38 minutes in the win, becomes the fourth member of the Mavs’ rotation whose status is uncertain for Game 3.
Point guard Deron Williams has a sports hernia that sidelined him for eight games late in the season and caused him to leave Game 2 in the third quarter. Guard J.J. Barea hasn’t played since aggravating a strained groin in the second quarter of Game 1.
Forward/center David Lee missed the first two games of the series due to a partially torn plantar fascia in his right foot.
Williams was listed as doubtful for Game 2 but started and starred early in the game, scoring 11 of his 13 points in the first five minutes. He struggled as the effects of a Toradol shot wore off and was clearly limping and in excruciating pain before exiting midway through the third quarter.
“I’ve got three days now to try to get treatment and do what I can do to get it back ready to go again,” Williams said after the game, expressing optimism that he’d be able to play in Game 3.
It’s less likely that Barea and Lee will be available for Thursday’s game, but both have shown improvement and do not want to rule out the possibility. The “Masking Tape Mavs,” as Carlisle dubbed his team late in the season, are also without forward Chandler Parsons, who underwent season-ending knee surgery in March.
