[MavsFanFinley]

I sure don't like the addition to this Nelson quote. It wasn't included in the official site post-game quotes, nor the one in the DMN.

Nowitzki injures ankle against Nuggets

November 22, 2004

DENVER (AP) -- All-Star forward Dirk Nowitzki had to be helped to the Dallas locker room after twisting his left ankle Sunday night against the Denver Nuggets.

The Mavericks said Nowitzki had a sprained ankle, but he still was in a great deal of pain after the game. An MRI is scheduled for Monday.

``We don't know how bad, but it is not good,'' Dallas coach Don Nelson said. ``We can't catch a break with injuries. We have done well up to this point, but like I said before, the one guy we can't afford to lose is Nowitzki and now we have lost him for a while.''

Nowitzki was injured with 2 1/2 minutes left in the second quarter when he shot a fadeaway along the baseline and came down on the foot of Denver forward Nene. Nowitzki was on the floor in front of the Mavericks' bench for several minutes and couldn't put any weight on his ankle as he was taken to the locker room.

``I rolled it pretty bad, and will wait and see what happens after the MRI tomorrow,'' Nowitzki said.

Dallas' leading scorer and rebounder with 27.3 points and 10.6 rebounds per game, Nowitzki had scored over 30 points in five straight games and had 11 against the Nuggets before the injury.

A three-time All-Star, Nowitzki has had problems with ankle injuries in the past. He hasn't played a full season since 2000-01 and missed five games last season because of a sprained ankle.