Dallas Mavericks fans are unsure of what will happen to their team as the final stretch of the 2024-25 season is fast approaching.
Their tenth-place position in the Western Conference standings is far from secure, and they will have to zero in on winning as many games as possible to book their spot in the play-in tournament.
To make matters worse, they’re already paper-thin on the frontcourt. Anthony Davis is still out with a thigh injury and won’t be able to play until at least March 7. With more injuries on their big men, the next couple of games won’t be pretty for them.
As if the basketball gods didn’t feel the punishment the team got for trading Luka Doncic away was enough, another key contributor got hit with the injury bug.
Dallas Mavericks lose PJ Washington to ankle soreness, struggle to keep up against the Milwaukee Bucks
The Mavericks, a lineup already lacking bigs due to injuries to key players, had to field a relatively small lineup in their 132-117 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks. The 6’7″ power forward played a decent game during the time was on the floor, finishing with four points and five boards and 2-for-8 shooting.
However, the Mavs had to pull him out in the third quarter due to concerns in his right ankle.
Athlon Sports’ Enzo Flojo provided more details about the injury:
Washington, who had been listed as questionable heading into the game, was ultimately cleared to play but was unable to finish the contest. This comes after he was already ruled out for Thursday’s matchup against the Charlotte Hornets.
His absence was felt immediately as Dallas struggled with spacing and defensive versatility against the Bucks’ frontcourt.
Giannis Antetokounmpo had a field day against the Mavs’ bare-bone roster, finishing the game with 29 points, nine rebounds, nine assists, one steal, and one block.
Latest updates on the Mavericks’ big-man rotation
While it’s fortunate that Anthony Davis wouldn’t miss the rest of the season, Dallas’ medical team are taking his recovery slowly. The Mavs’ injury report has the Kentucky product deactivated until at least March 7.
Fortunately, the Mavs are about to get some massive reinforcements to their bigs. Both Daniel Gafford and Derrick Lively II are expected to make a full recovery by April 2. Whether they’ll immediately be plugged into the roster remains to be seen, though.
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