The Dallas Mavericks have a tough matchup ahead of them on Friday night. They will face the Memphis Grizzlies, who have won their last 11 games, on Friday at Memphis' FedEx Forum. Kristaps Porzingis' status is huge for Luka Doncic and the Mavs, as they would match up much better with him on the court. But his availability this season has not been very good, as he has missed over a third of Dallas' games. For the game tonight, is Kristaps Porzingis playing?
Is Kristaps Porzingis playing vs. Grizzlies
The Mavs announced that Porzingis, as well as Willie Cauley-Stein, will miss Friday night's game. Porzingis entered the NBA's health and safety protocols last Monday and has not yet been cleared. ESPN's Tim MacMahon provided some good news on the situation, reporting that the Mavs big man is feeling good.
Source says Kristaps Porzingis feels well and has been able to work out despite not yet clearing NBA’s health and safety protocols. Mavs’ game in Memphis will be the seventh Porzingis misses due to COVID. https://t.co/xZGlDQNPAR
— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) January 13, 2022
This season, Porzingis is averaging 20.6 points, 8.0rebounds and a career-high 2.3 assists per game while shooting 45.1 percent from the field. He has already missed 15 games this season, including Dallas' last six.
The absence of Porzingis hasn't been too damaging to Dallas. With Doncic still playing at a high level and Jalen Brunson stepping up, the Mavs are still among the best teams in the Western Conference. They are currently the fifth seed but may need to make some trades if they want to improve. Porzingis returning would also help the Mavs hit their stride.
The Mavs, now with a record of 22-19 on the season, a six-game winning streak snapped in their last game by the New York Knicks. They will look to start another one against the hottest team in the league without Porzingis.
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