Add Dirk Nowitzki to the Dallas Mavericks Long Injury List

The list is already long, but it’s time to add Dirk Nowitzki to that list.

The Dallas Mavericks are tied 1-1 in the first round of the playoffs to the Oklahoma City Thunder who are young and healthy, two words who can’t be applied to the Mavs squad. Dallas stole Game 2 in OKC despite numerous injuries, and now we can add one more name to the long list.

The Mavs somehow made the playoffs despite touting injuries to Chandler Parsons (knee, out for season), Deron Williams (sports hernia, questionable), JJ Barea (strained groin, questionable), Devin Harris (torn ligament in thumb, probable), and David Lee (right heel, probable).

Deron Williams played through extreme pain in a gutsy performance in Game 2, but was still obviously limited. Devin Harris played despite his thumb injury, and the rest of them didn’t play. If I was a gambling man, I would bet that Barea, Lee, Harris, and Williams all will play in Game 3, but none of them are a sure thing.

Now, Dirk Nowitzki reportedly has a bone bruise on his right knee. The Big German injured his knee after falling in the first quarter of Game 2, but ended up playing 38 minutes in the game anyway.

Rick Carlisle said of Nowitzki “This thing with Dirk, now, we hope this is not something that’s going to cause him to miss any time.”

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I would be surprised to see Dirk miss any of Game 3 with this injury, but there’s no doubt that it will have an effect on his play. This is just one more obstacle for a Dallas team that has had their fair share this season, and it’s a testament to this Mavs unit’s grit, especially Nowitzki’s.