Associated Press
DALLAS — Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki hopes to avoid surgery after experiencing more swelling in his troublesome right knee.
Nowitzki missed his second straight preseason game as Dallas beat Houston 123-104 Monday night. The 11-time All-Star said after the game he is going to reduce his workload over the next week and see if the swelling goes down in his knee, which has been drained twice over the past month.
The 2011 NBA Finals MVP said if there is no improvement over the next few days, he may have no choice other than to have surgery, which would probably sideline him into the regular season.
“I guess that it’s obvious that I don’t want (surgery) done,” Nowitzki said. “If it’s going to keep swelling up on me, that’s not a way to go through an 82-game season and hopefully a long playoff run.”
Nowitzki said the swelling wasn’t as bad as it had been when he had problems before a preseason game In Spain last Tuesday. He practiced once the team returned to Texas and experienced more swelling afterwards.
It is the same knee and same issue Nowitzki dealt with early last season. The Mavericks held their perennial All-Star out for a four-game stretch in January to improve his game conditioning and give him time to strengthen his right knee.
Nowitzki said he is going to avoid practices and scrimmages, limiting his workouts to time in the pool and on the elliptical machine.
“It makes no sense to play in the preseason on a swollen knee,” Nowitzki said. “So we’ll see what’s going to happen in the next couple of days.”
KINGS 117, BLAZERS 100
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Marcus Thornton made four 3-pointers and scored 11 of his 23 points in the fourth quarter to lead the Sacramento Kings past the Portland Trail Blazers 117-100 on Monday night.
DeMarcus Cousins had 20 points and seven rebounds for the Kings. Jason Brooks added 16 points, James Johnson had 12, and Jimmer Fredette and Tyreke Evans 11 each.
Cousins came off the bench midway through the fourth to help boost the Kings. He scored six consecutive points, the final one a fastbreak layup that put Sacramento (2-0) ahead 107-93 with 5:06 left.
Rookie point guard Damien Lillard scored 20 points for Portland (1-2). LaMarcus Aldridge had 16 points and seven rebounds, Nicolas Batum scored 14, and Wesley Matthews and J.J. Hickson had 11 each.
Evans helped keep the Kings lead in double digits in the third quarter by scoring on a variety of drives to the basket. He had nine points and the Kings went into the fourth quarter ahead 91-78.
Lillard connected on three 3-pointers early in the third to rally Portland and scored 11 points in the quarter.
After a productive 10-point first half, Cousins picked up four personal fouls and a technical and went to the bench midway through the third quarter.
The Kings started offseason pickup Brooks at point guard and the move had immediate benefits. Brooks made two 3s and had 12 first-quarter points in helping Sacramento to a 62-42 halftime lead.