Dallas Mavericks big man Kristaps Porzingis will not suit up when the Mavs take on the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday, according to head coach Rick Carlisle.
Porzingis has been sidelined since last Dec. 31 to a sore knee. Recently, the Latvian had a PRP (platelet-rich plasma) injection in his right knee to speed up the recovery process. Fortunately, it is not the same knee that suffered the torn ACL.
Rick Carlisle says that Kristaps Porzingis will not play tonight.
— Nick Friedell (@NickFriedell) January 15, 2020
The game against the Warriors will be KP's eighth straight missed game. Carlisle had fielded Maxi Kleber in his place, who has averaged 12.6 points, 6.1 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 1.7 blocks and 2.6 3-pointers while shooting 53.7 percent from the field and 43.9 percent from deep in the last seven games.
Carlisle added that The Unicorn worked out before their duel with the Warriors. Moreover, he also did not guarantee if Porzingis will be able to play on Wednesday when they visit the Sacramento Kings.
Carlisle says Porzingis will work out before tonight’s game. Possibility he’ll play tomorrow, but “no guarantee,” Carlisle says.
— Brad Townsend (@townbrad) January 15, 2020
To recall, Kristaps Porzingis was a late-game scratch in the Mavs’ New Year’s Eve game against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Reports reveal that Kristaps approached the medical staff prior to tip-off, noting some pain in his right knee.
The Mavs initially downplayed the seriousness of Porzingis' injury, saying that he won't miss significant time. Porzingis himself, before receiving the PRP injection, noted that he and the team is just “being cautious” in dealing with his knee.
Before being sidelined with the knee issue, Porzingis is averaging 17.3 points, 9.4 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 2.1 blocks per game. He is also shooting 40.3 percent from the field, 34.3 percent from deep and 72.5 percent from the free-throw line.
Mavs fans are certainly hoping that KP will return soon, but they know for a fact that it is better for the team to be cautious given the All-Star big man's injury history.
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