Dirk is out with knee injury

[41times]

Dirk Nowitzki Injury: MRI Reveals Strained Knee, Knocks Maverick Out Of Tuesday's Game
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about 16 hours ago: Dallas Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki yells after landing awkwardly during the second quarter of an NBA basketball game against the Oklahoma City Thunder in Oklahoma City, Monday, Dec. 27, 2010. Dallas won 103-93. Nowitzki left the game with what the Mavericks said was a sore right knee. (AP Photo/Alonzo Adams)
Read More: Dirk Nowitzki (F - DAL), Dallas Mavericks

An MRI on Dirk Nowitzki's knee revealed a strain. The forward will miss the Mavericks' Tuesday game against the Toronto Raptors, and is listed as day-to-day.

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Original Story
Dirk Nowitzki Injury: Maverick Star Will Have MRI On Knee Tuesday

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Update: Dirk Nowitzki Injury: MRI Reveals Strained Knee, Knocks Maverick Out Of Tuesday's Game
Dirk Nowitzki has a strained right knee and will miss the Mavericks' Tuesday game against the Toronto Raptors, the team has announced. Nowitzki is listed as day-to-day.

Nowitzki fell to the ground early in the second quarter of Dallas' Monday night win over the Oklahoma City Thunder after being fouled by Serge Ibaka, who was defending a Dirk jump shot. Immediate X-rays showed no structural damage to Nowitzki's knee, but the forward sat out the remainder of the game as the Mavs pulled away for the 103-93 victory.

Nowitzki said after the game that his knee had been bothering him for a couple weeks. Getting rest should not be an issue for the German -- Dallas has seven games in the next two weeks. The only back-to-back for the Mavericks between now and Jan. 14-15 is next weekend, against the Bucks and Cavaliers, the former a middle-of-the-pack Eastern Conference team and the latter potentially the worst squad in the league.

Tuesday's game will be Nowitzki's first DNP of the season. He missed just two games over the last two seasons, and has played in 97 percent of the Mavericks' regular season games since 1999.

For more Mavs news and analysis, join Mavs Moneyball.

[Amuseddaysleeper]

I'm sure he'll miss the Spurs game as well so the Mavs can play it safe with him. I hope he plays, but from Cuban's perspective, unless Dirk is 100% ready to go, why risk further injury?

[nkdlunch]

agree pretty sure Dirk is out for Thurs. Makes tonight's test even more important.

[Phillip]

it would really be nice to have Roddy back by now. I wonder what the hell is taking them so long with him.

[Fpoonsie]

it would really be nice to have Roddy back by now. I wonder what the hell is taking them so long with him.

It's curious, but as long as the Mavs are playing as well as they are, there's no need to rush him. Even if he doesn't get back 'till after the ASB, he'll still get plenty of in-game conditioning to get back to form.

[SenorSpur]

I disagree.

Dirk may not be able to go tonight versus the Raps, but honestly the Mavs wont need him anyway. One thing about Dirk is that he's always been a surprisingly quick healer. That said, I fully expect him to give it a go on Thursday. And I'm sure Pop will prepare the team accordingly.

[polandprzem]

It looked worse from my perspective when I saw it.

If it's the knee I told myself that it's bad.
He couldn't walk at first so It looked like he had something relocate, but it appears it's not that bad.


Damn, not good

[peacemaker885]

Yeah, Mavs's are stacked. Get well Dirk!

[Fireball]

Dirk will be back sooner than later. If he does not play Thursday it will not be easier for the Spurs. Get well, Dirk !!!

[Budkin]

Sucks for Dirk, and sucks for us since I would prefer playing the Mavs at full strength. Without him our matchups don't go haywire... and we need some of that to get better.

[41times]

it would really be nice to have Roddy back by now. I wonder what the hell is taking them so long with him.

after he broke his foot it did not heal right and still has not. you might not see him this season.

[ChuckD]

after he broke his foot it did not heal right and still has not. you might not see him this season.

Did they do surgery to insert screws?

[LaMarcus Bryant]

What a sucker bitch. Probably CIA Carlisle.

[Strike]

Hopefully he's not out long. Much as I don't like the Mavs, I respect Dirk.

[UnWantedTheory]

Nah, I bet the Dirk plays Thursday. I hope so. We need to find out what kind of team we are against the elites.

[spurtech09]

Hope he plays on thursday I want to see how good the spurs are....

[jb4g]

Spurs getting lucky, keep catching teams without their best player(s)

[crc21209]

If he does try and give it a go Thursday without feeling 100% it would be a pretty dumb move...

[DMC]

Ah Dirka Dirka... hacka sherpa sherpa... mohammed jihad

[Sisk]

I'd rather him play against us, honestly. But I doubt it...

[quentin_compson]

Nowitzki played in 97% of the RS games since 97? That's pretty impressive.

[DieHardSpursFan1537]

Dirk's one of my favorite non-Spur players. Don't like to see him injured at all. But if he doesn't play vs Spurs on Thursday, Spurs chance of winning increases.

[DieHardSpursFan1537]

Spurs getting lucky, keep catching teams without their best player(s)
First Melo, and now Dirk. :wow

[Fpoonsie]

Spurs getting lucky, keep catching teams without their best player(s)

That's not lucky...against the Mavs...IN Dallas.

[TDMVPDPOY]

i think cubes will play him, cause winning against the spurs in a regular season game is like winning a championship to him

[Spurs Brazil]

ArtGarcia_NBA Nowitzki (@swish41) told me he's not worried about knee sprain & wants to play Thurs vs Spurs but isn't sure he will. #mavs

[MavDynasty]

i think cubes will play him, cause winning against the spurs in a regular season game is like winning a championship to him

tbh I know you're trying to be a shitty troll but you don't remember Don Nelson and Cuban being in a huge ass fight because Cuban didn't want to play him in the 03 WCF?

[toki9]

tbh I know you're trying to be a shitty troll but you don't remember Don Nelson and Cuban being in a huge ass fight because Cuban didn't want to play him in the 03 WCF?

Actually, I think it was the other way around:

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=4351802

"Perhaps the most revealing document in the public record is the transcript of the arbitration hearing, which took place in June 2008.

During the hearing, Cuban and Nelson gave their versions of how their relationship unraveled, beginning with their disagreement over whether star forward Dirk Nowitzki should play against the San Antonio Spurs in the sixth game of the 2003 Western Conference finals.

Nelson withheld Nowitzki, who had suffered a knee injury earlier in the series, despite Cuban's entreaties to play him. The Mavericks lost the game and the series.

Cuban testified that he had assurances from team doctors that Nowitzki couldn't hurt the knee any worse and believed Nelson was trying to take pressure off himself by keeping the player on the bench. Nelson testified that he had a similar injury when he was a player and worried that playing Nowitzki could have a long-term effect.

"I didn't want to jeopardize this great young player's career for a basketball game, no matter how important it seemed at the time," Nelson testified."

[MavDynasty]

Sorry, my mistake lol.

[toki9]

Sorry, my mistake lol.

No worries...i mean, i can't even remember what i had for breakfast this morning... ;-) But seriously, I hope Dirk is okay...he's a great player and it's always a battle worth watching when he plays...

[JustinJDW]

I don't know about anyone else, but I really don't expect him to be out for Thursday's game, so I'm definitely not going to get my hopes up. Dirk has never been an injury guy, and I think he's bouncing back fast.

But we will see.