Mavs rookie Dennis Smith Jr. misses game with swollen left knee

Rookie point guard Dennis Smith Jr. missed Friday night’s game against the Sacramento Kings due to swelling in his left knee. Smith will not play in Saturday’s game at Houston.

The news first leaked when Kings’ rookie point guard De’Aaron Fox told reporters that Smith Jr. wouldn’t be in the lineup.

The cause behind Smith Jr.’s condition is unknown. However, it is possible that the injury is a result of a fall that the Mavericks’ rookie took in the season opener against the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday night.

Smith Jr. finished his NBA debut with 16 points, tied for the team high, and a game-high 10 assists.

Harris on leave

Mavericks guard Devin Harris is likely to miss multiple games while dealing with the death of his brother. The Mavericks were down two regulars for Friday’s game against the Sacramento Kings. Rookie guard Dennis Smith Jr. was a late scratch because of a sore left knee.

Bruce Harris, 38, died from injuries after a wreck on North Central Expressway in Dallas early Thursday morning, hours after watching his younger brother open the season at American Airlines Center Wednesday night. He was pronounced dead at about 12:32 p.m. at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital.

Mavs coach Rick Carlisle talked with his player on Thursday.

“I just encouraged him, when he’s ready, to come on back,” he said. “I don’t know when that’s going to be. He can take as long as he needs.”

It seems reasonable to expect that Harris will miss Saturday’s game in Houston. He’s likely to also miss Monday’s game against the defending champion Golden State Warriors in Dallas.

Cooling off

Against the Hawks, the Mavericks were on fire from beyond the arc, draining 17 3-pointers in their season-opening loss. On Friday, things didn’t start off the same way.

The Mavs only hit five 3s on 17 attempts. Starting point guard J.J. Barea had a particularly tough time, going 1 for 5 in the early going.

This story was originally published October 20, 2017 at 9:42 PM with the headline "Mavs rookie Dennis Smith Jr. misses game with swollen left knee."