‘Such A Tough Kid’: Dallas Mavericks Rule Out Sergio De Larrea Against Oklahoma City Thunder With Right Knee Sprain
DALLAS — The Dallas Mavericks have ruled out rookie Sergio De Larrea for Wednesday’s game against the Oklahoma City Thunder with a right knee sprain, according to the team’s injury report. Tip-off is set for 8:30 p.m. CT at American Airlines Center.
Kyrie Irving is listed as questionable with left knee injury management. Irving played 32 minutes, 40 seconds in Monday’s 113-109 win at the Miami Heat, his third game back from a torn ACL, after sitting out the second night of a back-to-back against the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday.
De Larrea was hurt early in the second quarter Monday when he took a hard fall trying to catch an inbound pass. Dallas listed him as doubtful to return before ruling him out, and the team described the injury that night as a right knee strain. He finished scoreless in 5 minutes, 40 seconds.
Mavericks coach Dusty May called De Larrea a tough kid after the game. Dallas has not announced a timeline for his return.
“I don’t know what it is. He’ll have some imaging tomorrow, but obviously concerned because he’s such a tough kid, but whatever it is, we’ll be here to support him and get through it,” May said Monday. “Very unfortunate, like all these injuries. You look around the NBA and the first thing you think of when there’s an injury is just how much time these guys spend to get their bodies right and how much time they’re gonna have to spend just to get back to playing the game that they love to play. And so hopefully it’s minor, but we’ll know sooner than later.”
Dusty May On Sergio De Larrea Before The Injury
De Larrea scored 21 points with 5 rebounds and 4 assists in 33 minutes against the Spurs on Saturday, with Cooper Flagg and Irving out. He had gone scoreless in 8 minutes over Dallas’ first two games.
The Mavericks acquired De Larrea’s draft rights from the Los Angeles Lakers after Los Angeles took him 25th overall in June, and he signed July 3. De Larrea, 20, is from Spain, and May said before Monday’s game that a close friend of his had played with De Larrea in Valencia.
“A little bit, for this to happen this quickly. I have several friends and actually had a close friend that played with him in Valencia, and everything that I had heard personally. And then obviously the front office did a … job scouting him, finding him, but everything that I heard were about the winning attributes that he brings and the maturity and the basketball IQ and the processing speed,” May explained before Monday’s game.
“So a little bit surprised that happened that quickly, but that’s kind of what’s gonna make this team unique until we get our whole lineup. Each game is gonna look different from an opponent standpoint, but also different from our locker room, with the minute restrictions and this guy’s out this game,” May continued. “And those young guys have to be prepared to maybe take a backseat one game and then have a much, much greater role the next. And that’s going to be a fun challenge. And those are fun puzzles to put together when you have guys who are as eager to learn as [De Larrea].”
The Rest Of The Dallas Mavericks Injury Report
Naji Marshall (illness) and Caleb Martin (right thumb sprain) are questionable after missing Monday’s game. Santi Aldama (right knee surgery) and Tarik Biberović (right heel bursitis) are doubtful, and Dereck Lively II (right foot surgery) is out.
Flagg is not on the report. He missed Saturday’s game with a left shoulder injury, then returned Monday with 29 points, 6 rebounds, and 11 assists in 39 minutes, 44 seconds.
The other guards who played for Dallas on Monday were Max Christie, two-way guard Walter Clayton Jr., and Marcus Sasser. Clayton scored 15 points on 6-of-7 shooting off the bench, and Christie added 11 points as a starter.
Wednesday’s game opens a three-game homestand. The Mavericks (2-2) host the Houston Rockets on Friday and the Sacramento Kings on Monday.
