Kristaps Porzingis injures knee in Mavericks vs. Pacers: Unable to return

The Dallas Mavericks got their first chance to face former head coach Rick Carlisle on Jan. 29 as the Indiana Pacers visited the American Airlines Center. Kristaps Porzingis was hoping to have a massive night against his former boss, especially after his limited role in last season's playoffs, but things did not go as planned.

He played just 11 minutes before heading to the bench with 8:54 left in the second quarter. KP never returned as he was ruled out before halftime with right knee soreness. The Unicorn had five points and one rebound in the Mavs win over the Pacers, but it was a disappointing early end to his night.

Porzingis and knee soreness are not things Mavs supporters want to hear. Here is a closer look at the latest injury and what fans can expect moving forward.

Kristaps Porzingis (knee soreness) unable to return versus Pacers

KP injured his right knee in the 2020 Playoffs against the LA Clippers. The Unicorn missed the final three games of the first-round series before having offseason surgery to repair his meniscus. He missed nine games to start the 2020-2021 regular season recovering from his surgery and the injury slowed him last season. Zinger never regained his lateral mobility as he had issues protecting the rim all year.

Porzingis was looking 100 percent healthy this season, so knee soreness is concerning. The Mavs need the Unicorn anchoring their defense and knocking down shots if they want to make a deep playoff run. He is their most important player.

KP reportedly did not travel to Orlando, and will miss Sunday's game against the Magic. There have been no updates yet on his status, but the Mavericks are hopeful that he avoided a serious injury. The Unicorn's next chance to play will be on Wednesday night as Dallas hosts the Thunder.

The Smoking Cuban will have all the latest on Kristaps Porzingis' latest knee injury, plus all the rumors fans crave, so please check back with us daily to never miss a moment.