Dirk out tonight, day to day

[mikeinrowlett]

Avery Johnson on NBATV says Dirk feeling good but out tonight. Says it will not be an extended period of time.

[dirk2003]

great news [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

[u2sarajevo]

Thank you Dear Lord!!!!!

That is good news. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

[Murphy3]

Thank you for the good news...hopefully he'll only miss tonight

[Murphy3]

...a collective sigh of relief...
the site had virtually died today...this should be a breath of fresh air.

[sike]

I would not be surprised or upset if he misses a couple games just to be safe....
dont want him at 75% doing further damage by aggravating it worse.

[mavsfanforever]

I just heard from a friend of mine that he will be out 7-10 days.

[V2M]

That's good news indeed. I hope Cuban & Co would petition to the league about doing something against deliberate ankle busting. I have seen it happen far too often against Dirk and other Mavs to believe it's an accident.

[MavsFanFinley]

I just heard from a friend of mine that he will be out 7-10 days.

JP posted on the LMF board that Ortegal said Dirk would be out 7-10 days with a mild ankle sprain.

[1timesportsbeatwriter]

from associated press

DALLAS (AP) _ Dirk Nowitzki missed the Dallas Mavericks' game against
Minnesota on Monday night and will miss several more because of a sprained
ankle, adding the team's best player to an already lengthy list of hobbling
players.<
With Michael Finley among them and Steve Nash now playing in Phoenix, the
Mavs were without the trio known as their ``Big Three'' for the first time
since Dec. 22, 1996. Back then, Dallas was still wallowing in its Three Js
era, which ended when Jason Kidd was traded to the Suns for Finley; Nash and
Nowitzki arrived for the 1998-99 season and the franchise revival came a few
years later.<
Nowitzki twisted his left ankle late in the second quarter of a 110-82 loss
at Denver on Sunday night. He left the arena on crutches and there were fears
that it might be a severe sprain, but the lack of swelling Monday was a good
sign. Prior to tipoff against the Timberwolves, the team was awaiting results
of an MRI.<
``We're kind of pleased with how he was walking today,'' Mavs coach Don
Nelson said. ``He will miss some games, not as serious as we thought when he
first did it.''<

[DubOverdose]

Dirk bes be playin Friday when I go to the game!

[MavsFanFinley]

DALLAS (AP) -- Dirk Nowitzki missed the Dallas Mavericks' game against Minnesota on Monday night and likely will miss three or four more because of a sprained ankle, adding the team's best player to an already lengthy list of hobbling players.

With Michael Finley among the injured, it was the first time since Dec. 26, 1996, that Dallas played without any of their famed ``Big Three'' -- Nowitzki, Finley or Steve Nash, who signed with Phoenix in the offseason.

Nowitzki twisted his left ankle late in the second quarter of a 110-82 loss at Denver on Sunday night. He left the arena on crutches and there were fears that it might be a severe sprain, but after viewing an MRI on Monday, doctors said Nowitzki should be back within seven to 10 days.

A week would keep the three-time All-Star out against the Timberwolves, Spurs, Trail Blazers and Grizzlies. His projected return is either next Tuesday against San Antonio or two days later against Houston.

``We're kind of pleased with how he was walking today,'' Mavs coach Don Nelson said. ``He will miss some games, not as serious as we thought when he first did it.''

Nowitzki is off to his best start in the first season Dallas has built specifically around his unique inside-outside skills. He leads the team in scoring (25.8), rebounding (10.1) and blocks (1.27). He'd scored over 30 points in four of five games and had 11 against the Nuggets before the injury.

Finley is on the injured list with a sprained ankle, leaving Dallas without its top two scorers.

Jason Terry also has a sprained ankle and Marquis Daniels is still getting over a severe sprain that kept him out the entire preseason. Erick Dampier is getting over a hip problem. Dampier and Terry missed a game Friday night but returned against Denver.

Calvin Booth replaced Nowitzki as the starting power forward. Alan Henderson, who has gotten most of the minutes as Nowitzki's backup, will see more time than usual, too.

``I think I have ample support at every position except Dirk's,'' Nelson said. ``He's such a special player, he's the one guy we can't lose. We have to rely on the other guys to step up and find a way to win.''

Nelson said he went with Booth because his shooting range is closer to Nowitzki's. Booth has been at the back end of Nelson's rotation, playing 10 minutes or less until playing 20 after Nowitzki went down against Denver. He was 1-for-7 against the Nuggets and is 4-of-15 for the season.

``I need him to make some outside shots, which I know he can do,'' Nelson said. ``He hasn't done it yet consistently, but he hasn't played consistently.''

Nowitzki has had problems with both ankles. He had surgery on his left ankle two years ago to clean out bone spurs and recently had a flareup of bone spurs in the other one.

[Dirkenstien]

Very good news.

[bloodyhell]

>That's good news indeed. I hope Cuban & Co would petition to the league about doing something against deliberate ankle busting. I have seen it happen far too often against Dirk and other Mavs to believe it's an accident.

I'd love to see them do that but we'd be dreaming before stern lifted a finger on that one. Dirk does take a lot of shots to the face, ankles and what not. It would be nice if some of our other players could get some revenge when that happens. The scenario. We have almost all of our players healthy. Dirk gets hurt. Then we have a 2nd-3rd stringer go after carmello in a "hidden" way via moving into his body or messing up his ankles. Whatever screws him up for a few games seems like a nice revenge imo. They take dirk out, We take carmello out.

[MavsFanFinley]

Nowitzki may return by Friday

By Dwain Price
Star-Telegram Staff Writer

DALLAS - Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki could be back in action by the end of this week after an MRI revealed he suffered a mild sprain of his left ankle during Sunday's game at Denver.

The Mavs' medical staff officially listed the timetable for Nowitzki's return as seven to 10 days. But the seven-year veteran doesn't plan on sitting out that long.

"Usually, I'm a quick healer," Nowitzki said after sitting out Monday's 83-82 loss to Minnesota. "[Sunday] I was on crutches, and [Monday] I'm already walking around without a limp."

Nowitzki has ruled himself out for Wednesday's game in San Antonio, but has targeted Friday's home game against Portland as the day he expects to return. If not, he's almost sure to be back in time for Saturday's contest in Memphis.

"We'll see how the next couple of days go," Nowitzki said. "I've got to run on the court and see how it feels and see how it responds.

"With those kind of injuries, I know how to deal with it. It's something that I have on a regular basis, and I know when I can play and when I can compete on the highest level there is."

In a season marred by injuries, Nowitzki is the fifth Maverick to be sidelined with an ankle injury -- Michael Finley, Jason Terry, Marquis Daniels and Dan Dickau are the others. While the Mavs are stacked at other positions, they're not as deep at power forward, where Nowitzki makes his living.

"I think I have ample support at every position except Dirk's," coach Don Nelson said. "He's such a special player that he's the one guy we can't lose. [But] he recovers amazingly."

With Finley and Nowitzki sidelined, the Mavs are without their top two scorers from last season.

"To have our two leading scorers out will be a challenge," Nelson said. "We have to rely on the other guys to step up and find a way to win."

Nelson hopes to have Finley back in the lineup sometime next week. For now, Nelson said: "He sure looks good in a suit."

[sike]

good news...

[bernardos70]

Great News. Just heal completely. And I agree about the ankle busters. [ct]People magically slip their feet under Dirk's way too often when he is landing after a jumpshot.[/ct]

[Psychedelic Fuzz]

"With those kind of injuries, I know how to deal with it. It's something that I have on a regular basis, and I know when I can play and when I can compete on the highest level there is."

does this line cause anyone else's acid reflux to act up?

[bernardos70]

Yes. Yes it does.

[Ninkobei]

This may sound kind of crazy, so if you are of the weak mind do not read further...

Dirk's one week out might be a blessing in disguise. It gives the rest of the team time to know one another and learn to rely on them. This should show teams that we have weapons other than Dirk(although Dirk will remain our Primary). It's as simple as this: If our team can play well without Dirk, then once he comes back in the line up he will be utilized more efficiently because the rest of the team knows what they can and can not do. Take for example Josh Howard. He has really stepped up in Dirk's absence (albeit just one game...) and might be more productive because of it. Maybe he has just been waiting for the right moment to crawl out of that shell of his and this last game vs the T Wolves gave him the perfect opportunity. As my philosophy teacher once said, we learn who we are in the darkest of times, some run in fear and some step up and become heroes. (I'm sure she meant something more dire than basketball, but heck, it can still apply). Ok thats enough babbling out of me.

[FilthyFinMavs]

Here we go again with that "This is a blessing in diguise" crap again lol.

[kg_veteran]

Originally posted by: FilthyFinMavs
Here we go again with that "This is a blessing in diguise" crap again lol.

It's Thanksgiving, and I'm thankful for all of my blessings. I'd just like to see them unmasked, please. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

[Murphy3]

What would really be a blessing is having the 1 or possibly 2 wins that the Mavs lost with Dirk being out. That would be a blessing.

[StrikerV]

Dirk should wait till next week to play, let him rest up.