Dallas Mavericks Blog – Page 54 – NBA Blog

Rodrigue Beaubois out indefinitely with fractured hand

The injury bug bit [Dallas Mavericks guard] Rodrigue Beaubois once again.

Beaubois exited Sunday night’s game against the Thunder after fracturing the second metacarpal in his left hand during the second quarter. He is out indefinitely.

The fourth-year guard had played his way back into Rick Carlisle’s rotation with two strong performances this week. Carlisle called Beaubois 18-point, five-assist outing in Friday’s win “by far” his best game of the season.

— Reported by Tim MacMahon of ESPN Dallas

MRI reveals Shawn Marion has strained left calf

An MRI performed Friday revealed that Shawn Marion has a strained left calf.

The injury will keep the Dallas Mavericks’ small forward on the sidelines indefinitely. And it’s much more serious than the left calf contusion the Mavericks thought Marion had when he suffered the injury March 6 against the Houston Rockets.

“It’s getting better, but being a strain instead of a contusion, those take longer, so it’s going to be a whole lot longer [recovery period],” coach Rick Carlisle said. “We hope not too long, but we’re going to exercise caution, and we’re going to make sure he’s right before he gets back.”

Marion missed all four games on the Mavs’ recent road trip.

— Reported by Dwain Price of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram

No Shawn Marion for Mavericks tonight

Being the warrior that he is, Shawn Marion doesn’t particularly like to sit out basketball games.

Especially a game that’s as big as the one the Dallas Mavericks play tonight at 7 at the AT%T Center against the San Antonio Spurs. But Marion will sit out tonight’s game with a left calf contusion, marking the fourth straight game he’s missed since suffering the injury during a Mar. 6 home game against the Houston Rockets.

“It’s real frustrating, but everybody’s been very supportive and I’m just trying to get myself right,’’ Marion said after this morning’s shoot around at the AT%T Center. “I’m here to support the team the best way I can and let’s keep it going.’’

— Reported by Dwain Price of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram (Blog)

Calf still bothering Shawn Marion

Dallas Mavericks forward Shawn Marion has been ruled out of Thursday’s game against the San Antonio Spurs and will be re-evaluated Friday morning by team doctor T.O. Souryal.

Marion has missed the previous three games because of a bruised left calf suffered during the Mavs’ March 6 win over the Houston Rockets. The Mavs had considered Marion to be day to day, but the calf has not been recovering as well as anticipated.

— Reported by Tim MacMahon of ESPN Dallas

Mavericks sign guard Chris Wright to 10-day contract

The Dallas Mavericks announced today that they have signed free agent guard Chris Wright to a 10-day contract.

Wright (6-1, 210) played collegiately at Georgetown and went undrafted in the 2011 NBA Draft. He spent the 2012 training camp with the New Orleans Hornets before joining the Iowa Energy of the NBA Development League for the 2012-13 campaign.

According to ESPN Dallas, “Wright became the first-known NBA player to acknowledge having multiple sclerosis when he signed a 10-day deal with Dallas and joined the Mavs in San Antonio. That’s a fact that Wright is especially proud of after earning a call-up from the D-League. “That’s definitely one of the things I pride myself on, being the face of it and being an inspiration and motivation for people to keep fighting.” said Wright, who averaged 15.5 points, 7.0 assists, 4.3 rebounds and 1.6 steals for the Iowa Energy this season to earn a D-League All-Star bid. “I made history with this.”

In 38 games (all starts) for the Energy, Wright averaged 15.5 points, 4.3 rebounds, 7.0 assists, 1.6 steals and 37.0 minutes per game en route to earning NBA Development League All-Star honors.

A native of Bowie, Md., Wright played professionally for Olin Edime of the Turkish Basketball League in 2011-12.

Wright is expected to join the team in San Antonio and be available for the game against the Spurs on March 14. He will wear No. 8 for the Mavericks.

The Mavericks’ roster now stands at 15 players.

Mavs beat Bucks 115-108 for 4th straight win

Vince Carter may not be able to throw down big dunks like he used to, though he can still knock down big shots.

Carter hit three key 3-pointers in the fourth quarter and scored 23 points off the bench as the Dallas Mavericks won their fourth straight with a 115-108 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday night.

”I felt in the groove,” Carter said. ”The basket just seemed extremely big, and I felt comfortable with my shot. I was just in the flow of the game. A couple of shots, once I let them go, I happened to look down and see the 3-point line was up there. Oops. I know if I don’t make them, Coach is going to yell. But I was just prepared. I had my feet set, in rhythm, just in attack mode.” …

The Mavericks, who are three games out of the eighth spot in the Western Conference playoff race, know now is the time to get going if they are to make the postseason for the 13th consecutive time…

Dirk Nowitzki added 19 points, 17 in the first half, and 11 rebounds, while O.J. Mayo had 14 points. Mavericks rookie and former Marquette star Jae Crowder, last year’s Big East player of the year, was one off his career high with 14 points.

Monta Ellis scored 32 points for the Bucks, giving him 20 or more in all six of Milwaukee’s games this month. Ellis has been putting up big numbers since the All-Star break, averaging 23.7 points.

— Reported by the Associated Press

Mavericks in danger of missing playoffs

The Dallas Mavericks are trying to climb into the Western Conference playoff picture, and more big performances from Vince Carter could help them reach that goal.

Dallas looks to match its longest winning streak of the season at four games Tuesday night as it visits the surging Milwaukee Bucks.

After 12 consecutive postseason appearances, the Mavericks (29-33) are in danger of missing the playoffs. They sit in a 10th-place tie with Portland in the West, three games out of the eighth and final spot.

Dallas, though, appears to be getting hot at just the right time thanks in large part to Carter. The 36-year-old former All-Star has gone 12 for 23 from 3-point range and averaged 16.0 points in helping the Mavericks win four of five this month.

“It’s not necessarily just scoring, but, in general, I understand what’s going on and I just made it my business to be locked in and want to do whatever is needed,” he said.

— Reported by Noey Kupchan of STATS/Associated Press

Brandan Wright hopes to remain with Mavericks

Because Dallas is the place where his career took off, center Brandan Wright would like to re-sign with the Mavericks when he becomes a free agent this summer.

Originally signed as a free agent by the Mavs on Dec. 9, 2011, Wright is appreciative that owner Mark Cuban and Donnie Nelson, the team’s president of basketball operations, gave him a chance to find his game.

Wright played with the Golden State Warriors from 2007 until he played 16 games for the New Jersey Nets in the latter half of the 2010-’11 campaign.

Wright then hooked up with the Mavs, where he has been mostly healthy following an injury-proned start to his career.

— Reported by Dwain Price of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram

Mavs could be in for another busy summer

Just like last summer, this is shaping up to be a very busy summer for the Dallas Mavericks.

The Mavs are still in search of a top-flight talent who will make Dirk Nowitzki the team’s second-best player. But whether they can lure Dwight Howard, Chris Paul — or any superstar — to Dallas remains to be seen.

“The challenge is the same annual things since I got here,” said Donnie Nelson’ the Mavs’ president of basketball operations. “Whether it’s through the draft, trade or free agency, to get the most and right kind of talent and give the talent an opportunity to come together.

“And hopefully there’s not too much change. But that’s part of our industry, especially with the new CBA (collective bargaining agreement).”

— Reported by Dwain Price of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram (Blog)

Chris Kaman hopes to stick with Mavs

For the Mavericks, that’s 60 percent of the team — nine of 15 players, assuming O.J. Mayo doesn’t exercise his player option for next season, which would seem unlikely.

Chris Kaman is one of those players. He signed a one-year deal last summer at $8 million and as far as he’s concerned, he’d like to stick around longer. But he knows now is not the time to make an issue of it.

“Hopefully, I’ll have an option to come back here next year,” he said. “I like Dallas. The people here do a real good job. It’s one of the most professional organizations I’ve ever been a part of. For me, the top one. I like how they do things and maintain their professionalism throughout the whole year, whether we’re up or down.”

— Reported by Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News