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Jaden Hardy Rumors
Blake Murphy: Anthony Davis is probable for the Mavericks on Friday. Klay Thompson, Spencer Dinwiddie, Dante Exum, and Jaden Hardy are questionable. Irving, Prosper, Edwards, Jones are out.
Dallas Mavericks PR: Mavs Injury Update vs LAL: Anthony Davis (left adductor strain) - AVAILABLE Dante Exum (left hand fracture) - AVAILABLE Jaden Hardy (right ankle sprain) - OUT Kyrie Irving (left knee surgery) - OUT Olivier-Maxence Prosper (right wrist sprain) - OUT
Law Murray: Anthony Davis, PJ Washington Jr, Dereck Lively II, Caleb Martin are all available per Mavericks Daniel Gafford and Jaden Hardy out Klay Thompson available after missing second half last night due to illness/blowout
Jaden Hardy suffers ankle injury
Jaden Hardy’s night came to a premature end late in the fourth quarter when he stepped on the foot of Cam Christie and suffered an apparent right ankle sprain. Hardy immediately recognized he couldn’t finish the game and tried to scoot away from the court. He was eventually escorted to the locker room with 2:13 left. If Hardy’s injury is indeed deemed a sprain, it’ll be his fourth of the regular season to the same ankle. The Mavericks are already without point guards Kyrie Irving, Dante Exum and Brandon Williams. Hardy’s exit could place his status in jeopardy for Saturday’s game against the Clippers.
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The Mavericks trailed the Los Angeles Clippers 108-83 with just over two minutes left inside Intuit Dome in Inglewood, Calif. Mavs guard Jaden Hardy drove to the basket and ended up taking an awkward step as he passed the ball back out to a teammate. Hardy was seen wincing in pain while grabbing at both his right ankle and knee. Dallas trainers had to carry him off the floor and into the locker room. Hardy exited the contest with 16 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists off the Mavericks’ bench.
What have your conversations with Kyrie been like since he suffered his season-ending ACL tear? Anthony Davis: In basketball, man, s— happens. [It’s] Kind of been going around the league, not even just the league but in sports in general, freakish injuries. I saw [Irving’s] play. Once he stepped in, he went down for a split second. The first thing I thought was, ‘Please, don’t let it be his ACL.’ And I went to go check on him, and he said it right then and there. I was like, ‘[expletive] .’ I could just tell how it was. We went from that to Gaff [Gafford] with his knee, Ex [Exum] with his hand, and O-Max [Prosper] with his hand. Then you had be Will [Brandon Williams] with his hammy and D-Live [Lively] already had his foot, J-Hardy [Jaden Hardy] with his ankle. Like f— man, we can’t catch the break, Caleb [Martin], with everything he got going on. PJ’s [Washington’s] ankle. But credit to these guys who around the clock getting treatment and doing everything we can to get back on the floor to make this push. But in [Irving’s] instance, during that time, I let him have time to himself, his team, and everything. And then obviously, I was in the back with him, gave him some space, and then once he did everything he needed to do, he came back to the locker room where I was at. And his whole mood was just different as far as he was like, ‘Hey listen, ain’t nothing I can do about it.’ His mindset went from ‘f—’ to let’s get ready to start this rehab process and get back. So that’s the opposite, tough injury, but I know he’s had some pretty significant injuries, the kneecap and everything, and he came back the same Kai. So, it’s my job to hold the fort down the rest of the season and then go into next season with some of the offseason things that we’re pretty sure we’re going to do. Then, have him have his time to get back healthy, get back right, come in, and be Kyrie again.
Marc Stein: Anthony Davis and Jaden Hardy have been officially recalled from their one-day practice stint with the @TexasLegends. Hardy and two-way big man Kai Jones, I’m told, are in contention to be active for Dallas’ game Wednesday at Indiana. More NBA from me: tinyurl.com/yrmzrx83
The Mavericks — losers in seven of their last eight games — barely have been able to field a team for much of March. Dwight Powell, Dallas’ only healthy center, played in the team’s three-game trip with stitches in his forehead after he collided with teammate Kessler Edwards on Sunday. Lively (right ankle stress fracture) last played Jan. 14. Gafford (right knee sprain) has been sidelined since Feb. 10. Washington and Jaden Hardy have been sidelined for much of this month with ankle injuries. “We are playing with basically no bigs,” Mavericks forward Naji Marshall said. “A lot of us are 6-7, 6-6 out there. Şengün is an All-Star big. Other guys are 6-10. We are trying our hardest. With what we are doing right now, we have to get through it.”
As injuries hamper the Dallas Mavericks, two-way contract guard Brandon Williams faces a prime opportunity to seize the moment. He did precisely that against the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday night, finishing with a career-high 31 points, adding five rebounds, and six assists. With Klay Thompson as the only available regular starter for the Mavericks, Williams had to fill a backcourt void left by the Luka Doncic trade, along with injuries to Kyrie Irving and Jaden Hardy. Outside of backcourt injuries, Dallas missed a lot of talent, but Williams focused on taking advantage of the attention the teammates around him commanded. "I just took what the defense gave," Williams explained. "Ultimately, they were looking at the other guys that we had, respectfully. Klay draws a lot of gravity, as well as many other guys on our team. Just feeding off of that and just taking what defense gives."
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James Ham: Jaden Hardy is down with a right ankle injury. He stepped on Valanciunas' foot on a drive.
Dončić took the time to bid farewell by texting his teammates, expressing gratitude, and reflecting on the deep connections he had built with them. “He texted the team, thanking everybody for everything,” Hardy said. “That was nice from somebody that got traded, reaching out and letting everybody know his thoughts.”
Christian Clark: Klay Thompson and Jaden Hardy will play, Jason Kidd says.
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