Dallas Mavericks: Delon Wright returns to play limited minutes vs. Heat

Dallas Mavericks guard Delon Wright returned after missing two straight games but played limited minutes against the Heat. Find out the latest here.

The Dallas Mavericks faced a stern test on Dec. 14. The Miami Heat came to Texas on the second night of a back-to-back. They are one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference and play a hard-nosed brand of basketball led by Jimmy Butler.

Mavs fans received some positive news prior to Saturday’s tipoff. Delon Wright missed two straight games with an adductor injury, but he returned to action. The team needed his defense against the plethora of scoring guard on the Heat.

Wright came into the game sooner than expected. Luka Doncic sprained his ankle just one minute and 40 seconds in. He immediately went back to the locker room for treatment. Coach Carlisle subbed in Delon Wright to take Doncic’s place. It was not the ideal circumstances. The crowd was stunned, and the team was down after seeing their star player injured.

Wright played the next nine minutes before being replaced by Jalen Brunson. He produced two rebounds, two assists, and one steal. The Mavs struggled to find their footing on offense without Luka. They scored just 14 points while Wright was on the floor.

That was his only rotation of the game. Dallas played Brunson and J.J. Barea at the one for the rest of the night. Coach Carlisle said after the game that Wright needs to get some extra work in before playing more minutes.

The Mavericks did a fantastic job making it a game in the second half. The Heat ultimately walked away with a 122-118 overtime win in Dallas. There was tremendous effort bouncing back in the final 24 minutes.

The Mavs will need more production from Delon Wright if Luka Doncic is going to miss time. Jalen Brunson may take over as the starting point guard, but Wright will continue playing an important role. The Dallas Mavericks will need his defense and playmaking in the difficult stretch of games ahead.

Keep an eye on Delon Wright’s minutes on Monday in Milwaukee. See if the team is ramping him up slowly or if they choose a different course of action to get him back on track.