‘We Needed Him Tonight’: Dallas Mavericks Held Naji Marshall Out vs. Houston Rockets After Illness, Eye Monday Return
DALLAS — The Dallas Mavericks held Naji Marshall out of Friday night’s 116-111 win over the Houston Rockets at American Airlines Center after an illness kept him from practicing. Mavericks coach Dusty May said the plan is to have Marshall ready to play Monday against the Sacramento Kings.
Marshall was available but did not play, and the official box score lists him as a coach’s decision. May said Marshall has not practiced since getting sick and appears to have lost weight.
Dallas has two days off before hosting Sacramento at 7 p.m. CT on Monday. Marshall has appeared in three of the Mavericks’ first six games, starting one.
“He hasn’t practiced, and we were worried, illness. I think he probably looks like he’s dropped weight. He hasn’t practiced yet,” May said. “And just we thought if we could get through this one without [Naji], and he’s got two days to get his body back right, get his conditioning, and then be ready to play well Monday. We needed him tonight.”
“It was a tough decision not to throw him out there, but we just thought for our team and for him, just give it until Monday,” May continued. “He was down with illness.”
Naji Marshall’s Start To The 2026-27 Season
Marshall entered Friday averaging 13.7 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 5.7 assists in 27.7 minutes per game. He was shooting 50.0% from the field and averaging 1.7 steals.
On Feb. 5, 2026, Marshall and Cooper Flagg each scored at least 30 points against the San Antonio Spurs. No Dallas pair had done that again until Friday, when Flagg scored 33 and Kyrie Irving scored 35.
Without Marshall, May played 10 players. Zaccharie Risacher played 27 minutes, 36 seconds off the bench and had 12 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists, and Caleb Martin played 25 minutes, 1 second and scored 8.
Martin was playing in his second game of the season after missing the first four with a right thumb sprain. Rookie Morez Johnson Jr. played 17 minutes, 8 seconds, Walter Clayton Jr. played 8 minutes, 33 seconds, and Marcus Sasser played 7 minutes, all in the second quarter.
Dallas Mavericks Injury Report After The Houston Win
Four Mavericks were inactive Friday. Santi Aldama is out following right knee surgery, Tarik Biberović has right heel bursitis, and Sergio De Larrea has a right knee sprain.
Dereck Lively II remains out after right foot surgery. Dallas announced the season-ending procedure on Dec. 10, 2025, after Lively appeared in seven games last season.
De Larrea had played in four games before Friday, averaging 5.3 points in 11.5 minutes. Biberović, who signed with Dallas on July 10, has not appeared in a regular-season game.
Houston played without Alperen Şengün and Reed Sheppard, who were both held out with low back soreness. Steven Adams was inactive with a right soleus strain.
The Mavericks are 4-2 after their third straight win. They host the Kings on Monday, then visit the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday.
