Sports
Nowitzki hopes to avoid arthroscopic knee surgery
DALLAS -- Still hopeful of avoiding arthroscopic surgery, Dirk Nowitzki went through practice Friday morning at American Airlines Center.
Nowitzki had been shelved since he missed Tuesday's preseason game in Barcelona, Spain, with swelling and soreness in his right knee. After Friday's practice, the Dallas Mavericks' All-Star forward sounded a bit optimistic.
"I did the whole practice today and I'll see how it responds over the weekend," Nowitzki said. "We've got a fan scrimmage [today], and then we'll check after the weekend.
"If the swelling keeps coming back, I'm not going to play on a swollen knee all season. If it comes back a couple more times, then we definitely have to look at something else."
That "something" would be arthroscopic surgery. And that's a decision Nowitzki would like to make quickly so he can possibly be back 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 of possibly surgery. "I don't want to wait until the 30th and then have a scope -- that's pretty obvious."
Coach Rick Carlisle said the 12-hour flight to Germany on Oct. 3 might have played a role in Nowitzki's ailment. He also said Nowitzki "had an incident in practice where he kind of had an awkward movement that might have triggered the swelling the night of the Barcelona game.
"He did a good job [Friday] and we'll see where things are each day. The hope is that we will be able to work through this."
Nowitzki said he isn't experiencing any soreness or stiffness in his knee.
"I think my wind is good, my leg strength is good," Nowitzki said. "I really don't know why the swelling keeps coming back."
Injury report
Rick Carlisle said center Brandan Wright is improving as he tries to overcome a strained left quadriceps.
"He's not 100 percent," Carlisle said. "But [Friday] he was a man and he sucked it up and he gave us a great day of practice."
Meanwhile, guard Rodrigue Beaubois was limited in practice while recovering from the left ankle sprain he sustained during last Saturday's preseason opener against Alba Berlin.
Fan friendly
The Mavericks will hold what they call Mavstoberfest today.
An exclusive player autograph session will be held at 3:30 p.m., then the doors for the general public will open at 4.
A seven-piece German heritage band based out of Dallas, the Royal Klobasneks, will play in the arena bowl from 4-5, and the Mavericks dancers and Mavericks ManiAACs will take photos and sign autographs from 4-5:30. Rolando Blackman, Brad Davis, Derek Harper and Spud Webb will sign autographs from 4:30-5:30 followed by an open practice session. Admission is free. Parking is $5 to $10.
Dwain Price, 817-390-7760
Twitter: @DwainPrice
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