The Dallas Mavericks have already announced that big man Kristaps Porzingis will be out for the remainder of the first-round series against the Los Angeles Clippers due to a lateral meniscus tear in his right knee.

However, if the Mavs beat the Clippers and advanced to the second round, there's optimism that he'll return.

“The door is not closed on the entire season if we are able to advance,” Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle said, via Callie Caplan of the Dallas News. “When I spoke to you guys on Wednesday about this, he had practiced. He was sore. It was clear that he was doing everything he can … and it just wasn’t progressing the way he hoped.”

The Mavericks are currently on the brink of elimination, trailing the series 3-2 heading into Sunday’s Game 6. However, the Mavs have already proven that they don't need Porzingis to beat the Clippers. The Mavericks were able to pull off an overtime victory over the Clippers in Game 4, with Luka Doncic scoring a game-high 43 points and a spectacular buzzer-beater.

Nevertheless, the Mavericks will most certainly miss Porzingis' presence for the rest of the series. The Latvian big man played absolutely phenomenal in his first postseason with the Mavericks. Porzingis averaged 23.7 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 1.0 blocks per game before his injury. Furthemore, he shot a team-high 52 percent from the field and 52.5 percent from 3-point range.

With Porzingis out for the remainder of the first-round series, Maxi Kleber and Boban Marjanovic are expected to take on bigger roles in the frontcourt.