DALLAS -- Dirk Nowitzki went through practice today without any problems. But the Dallas Mavericks All-Star forward isn't sure if he'll be able to play in Monday's preseason game against the Houston Rockets.
Nowitzki missed this past Tuesday's preseason game in Barcelona, Spain, against FC Barcelona Regal due to swelling and soreness in his right knee. Nowitzki has been receiving daily treatment for the injury, and hopes to avoid having arthroscopic surgery to rectify the situation.
"We’ll monitor the swelling, obviously,'' Nowitzki said after this morning's practice at American Airlines Center. "I did the whole practice today and I’ll see how it responds over the weekend.''
Nowitzki said he's already had the knee drained twice since training camp started. He also had it drained last season when the same problem cropped up with the same knee.
"If the swelling keeps coming back, I’m not going to play on a swollen knee all season,'' Nowitzki said. "If it comes back a couple more times, then we definitely have to look at something else.''
That "something'' would be surgery, which Nowitzki would rather not have. But if he does go through with the procedure, he wants to do it quickly so he can return in time for the Oct. 30 regular season opener against the Los Angeles Lakers.
"Probably the sooner the better if we decide that,'' Nowitzki said, referring to surgery. "I don’t want to wait until the 30th and then have a scope – that’s pretty obvious. I never liked missing games.
"In my career I always try to be there for the boys. If that’s something we have to look at, then hopefully if the swelling does come back next week, then we’ve got a decision to make.''
-- Dwain Price
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