The Dallas Mavericks picked up a huge victory on Tuesday night, evening their NBA Playoff series with the Los Angeles Clippers at one game apiece. The Mavericks were able to build some positive momentum as the series is moving to Dallas for the next two games.
While the team has to be happy about being tied in the series, not everything is positive for the team heading into Game 3. On Thursday, some brutal updates were offered on players dealing with injuries.
Starting center Daniel Gafford is going to be listed as questionable for the game because of a lower back injury. Gafford was replaced in the lineup at the start of the second half by Dereck Lively II, as he played only nine minutes in the contest.
According to Grant Afseth of Mavericks Gameday and NBA Analysis Network, Gafford was watching practice from the sidelines on Thursday. While things aren’t encouraging right now, at least he hasn’t been announced out for the game yet.
Unfortunately, the same cannot be said about dynamic sixth man, Tim Hardaway Jr. Dallas’s top gun off the bench played only six minutes in Game 2 before he was forced out of the game with a right ankle sprain.
The sprain is bad enough that Hardaway has already been ruled out for Game 3 on Friday night. Being ruled out more than 24 hours before a game is never an encouraging thing for a player’s outlook. The update was also provided by Afseth.
The Mavericks’ depth is certainly going to get tested in Game 3 and potentially beyond. With Hardaway sidelined, Jason Kidd turned to Josh Green to take his place in the rotation. We could also see Dante Exum receive a few more minutes.
If Gafford is unable to suit up, Lively will likely step into the starting lineup and play an increased role. He and Maxi Kleber would likely soak up all the minutes at the center spot. If Kidd needs to go to another big man, Dwight Powell or Markieff Morris could have their number called.
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