Mavericks forward Morez Johnson Jr. has been ruled out for Monday's game against the Pacers with a leg injury. He had been listed day-to-day, and the report gives an expected return of Nov. 12.
What happened
Johnson was ruled out at 6:33 PM ET on Monday, about an hour and a half before the 8:00 PM ET game against the Pacers. He had been listed day-to-day with a leg issue earlier in the day. The injury report's comment reads: "Johnson (leg) has been ruled out for Monday's game against the Pacers." It is the latest leg-related entry on his report. On Oct. 24 he was listed day-to-day with a lower leg issue and was later cleared. The report lists an expected return of Nov. 12.
What it means for the Mavericks
Dallas plays the Pacers at 8:00 PM ET on Monday. The Mavericks are 6-4, the 10th seed, and have won two straight. Johnson, a 20-year-old forward, is averaging 17.0 minutes, 7.6 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 10 games this season. Dallas is 6-4 with him and has not yet played a game without him, so there is no split to compare. His minutes go to a rotation led by Cooper Flagg (33.6 minutes), P.J. Washington (33.5) and Kyrie Irving (29.5). Zaccharie Risacher, Naji Marshall, Daniel Gafford, Max Christie and Caleb Martin follow. Tarik Biberovic, Dereck Lively II and Sergio de Larrea are also out.
What to watch
The next injury report will show whether Johnson stays on track for the Nov. 12 return listed in the report. No other timeline has been announced. Dallas will want to see how the rotation handles his minutes against Indiana, with Biberovic, Lively and de Larrea also out. Johnson's status for the games after Monday will be set by the report that comes out before each one.
Is Morez Johnson Jr. playing vs the Pacers?
No. Johnson has been ruled out for Monday's game against the Pacers with a leg injury. He was previously listed day-to-day.
When will Morez Johnson Jr. be back?
The injury report lists an expected return of Nov. 12. No other timeline has been announced.