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Mavericks' Dirk Nowitzki: Ruled out for Sunday

Nowitzki (Achilles) has been ruled out of Sunday's matchup with the Pelicans, Tim MacMahon of ESPN.com reports."He's come a long way in the four-week-plus period, but it's an Achilles strain and it's taking time," coach Rick Carlisle said. "It's as simple as that, so we have to do whatever is right here to make sure that he is gradually working his way back into this. The way this is going, it's probably not going to be one day he comes in and he's going to be fully recovered. This recovery is going to take some time, a full recovery. My hope is that is that it can be complete some time in December, sooner than later, but we've just got to be patient."

Analysis:

Nowitzki will now have missed 11 games this season with a lingering Achilles injury. He was able to take the court for the Mavericks' last two contests, but he appears to be dealing with some additional discomfort. According to Dwain Price of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Nowitzki didn't suffer any big setback, but the Mavericks want to take a cautious approach with Nowitzki, who's now 38 years old. Considering Nowitzki isn't at full strength, it wouldn't be surprising if he ended up sitting out a few more games for further rest and recovery. Dorian Finney-Smith was in the starting lineup during Nowitzki's last few absences and could be elevated to top unit again Sunday.

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