Dallas Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki ended up with bruises on his right triceps and forearm after a hard foul from Orlando Magic forward Tobias Harris on Monday, which contributed to his 1-for-7 second half, via ESPN Dallas:
Mavs’ Dirk Nowitzki suffers ‘double bruise’ on shooting arm
Dallas’ star struggled on Monday after hurting his arm but thinks he’ll be okay to play on Wednesday.
Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
“I have a double bruise going on,” said Nowitzki, who scored 15 points on 4-of-10 shooting in the 107-88 blowout of the Magic. “I couldn’t really shoot in the second half, but I was out there trying to help and it was enough to win. I’m just glad we didn’t really need me in the fourth quarter anymore. Get some rest tomorrow and be ready for Wednesday.”
The Mavs called a timeout after Harris’ hard foul, giving Nowitzki enough of a breather for the initial pain to subside so he could shoot his free throws and stay in the game. Nowitzki air-balled his first shot of the second half and was obviously bothered by the arm the rest of the game, frequently clenching his fist and moving his arm in an attempt to loosen it up.
“I didn’t really have a good feeling pushing through [a shot],” Nowitzki said.
It's good news for Dallas that Nowitzki thinks he should be okay to play against the Clippers on Wednesday. The Mavericks have won three in a row and are seven games above .500 for the first time this season, seventh in the West and a game ahead of the Phoenix Suns. They will play in Phoenix on Friday.
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Nowtizki is having his most efficient campaign since Dallas’ championship-winning 2010-2011 season, averaging 21.2 points and shooting 48.7 percent from the field, 41.1 percent from the three-point line and making 90.3 percent of his free throws. The Mavericks still rely on the 35-year-old Nowitzki to carry a huge offensive burden, and any serious injury to their star would be devastating.
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