DALLAS — Beginning the season playing two of the first three games minus their leading scorer from last year, the Dallas Mavericks hope that they can draw inspiration from the possible return of 13-time All-Star Dirk Nowitzki to the lineup when they step back on the court Wednesday night in Utah.
Forced to miss time due to an illness, Nowitzki sat out the team’s home opener last Friday night against Houston for the first time since the 2012-13 season. Nowitzki was then a late scratch Sunday in Houston as the home-and-home series wrapped up, despite going through the team’s morning shootaround.