BROOKLYN — Standout Dallas Mavericks rookie Dennis Smith Jr. sprained his ankle during the third quarter of the team’s loss to the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday night. He did not return, and it is unclear if he will miss extended playing time.
Dennis Smith Jr. sprained his ankle against the Nets
Smith Jr. went straight to the locker room with a limp.
Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Smith Jr. got tangled up with Spencer Dinwiddie during a drive to the rim. He slipped during a drive to the rim and was in noticeable pain on the floor before getting to his feet and heading to the locker room. He was able to walk off the floor under his own power, though with a slight limp. He immediately went to the locker room with a trainer.
The relief is that the injury is only an ankle sprain. Smith Jr. had a widely publicized torn ACL during his junior year in high school. The injury forced him to sit 10 months and miss his entire senior season. But he underwent a unique surgery that had the explosive guard back to dunking two weeks after. Yes, two weeks.
The Mavericks selected Smith Jr. out of North Carolina State with the ninth pick in the 2017 NBA Draft. He is averaging 14.9 points on 39 percent shooting, along with 4.9 assists and a steal per game.
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