RE:Dirk's ankle
Nowitzki misses Friday's loss and will sit out Saturday's game
Saturday, November 29, 2003
By EDDIE SEFKO / The Dallas Morning News
DENVER – Dirk Nowitzki was on crutches, which spoke louder than words.
The 7-footer still couldn't put full weight on his sprained right ankle Friday at the Mavericks' shootaround. He missed Friday's loss against Denver and will miss Saturday night's home game against Minnesota.
"The last couple times I've done this, it didn't swell up," Nowitzki said before Friday's game, having improved enough to ditch the crutches. "This time, it swelled up, and it's still swollen, so I knew this one was worse.
"I'm struggling right now. It's going to be a few games, I think."
Nowitzki has missed games periodically because of sprains to both ankles. He said he may eventually have to have surgery for bone spurs on his right ankle as he did on the left in the summer of 2002.
The good news, he said, is that the only time he's had any other physical problems was the knee injury in last season's playoffs that cost him three games.
Asked if he thought Tuesday against Washington might be a possible return date, Nowitzki went into an Arnold Schwarzenegger tone and said, "I'll be back. I just don't know when."
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