Update: Jason Kidd says Brandon Williams will not play against the Spurs, leaving Dallas with 8 healthy players — and Caleb Martin is on a 15-minute playing restriction.
SAN ANTONIO – According to Monday afternoon’s injury report, guard Brandon Williams (left hamstring tightness) is listed as questionable for the Mavericks’ Monday night game against the Spurs in Frost Bank Center.
Kessler Edwards and Dwight Powell, who collided, knocked heads and required stitches during Sunday’s game, are not listed on the injury report.
That means Dallas will only have, at most, nine players available to suit up against the Spurs. It will be eight available players if Williams can’t play.
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For the injury-ravaged Mavericks, this believe it or not qualifies as “good news.”
“I hate to say next man up because we’re running out of those,” Mavericks coach Jason Kidd quipped after Sunday’s home loss to Phoenix.
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According to NBA rules, a team must list a minimum of 12 active players for each game, with no fewer than eight players sitting on the bench in uniform.
However, rules don’t prohibit teams from suiting up injured players to fulfill the eight-players-on-the-bench requirement.
For Sunday’s game, Dallas suited up nine players, but starter Williams exited with a hamstring injury after playing 24 minutes. Edwards and Powell suffered head injuries when they collided while going after a loose ball. After receiving stitches. Edwards returned; Powell did not.
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Another Maverick, Caleb Martin, was on an 18-minute playing restriction due to the hip injury that kept him out more than a month. After he reached his 18-minute limit, Dallas finished the nine-point loss to Phoenix with six available players.
Entering Monday night’s game, and with Dallas’ horrible injury luck this season, it’s natural for fans to wonder what would happen if the Mavericks find themselves down to five healthy players – or fewer.
As stated under “NBA Rule No. 3: Players, Substitutes and Coaches.”
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Section I—Team
1. Each team shall consist of five players. A player is disqualified from the game when he receives his sixth personal foul. No team may be reduced to less than five players. If a player in the game receives his sixth personal foul and all substitutes have already been dis-qualified, said player shall remain in the game and shall be charged with a personal and team foul. A technical foul also shall be assessed against his team. All subsequent personal fouls, including offensive fouls, shall be treated similarly. All players who have six or more personal fouls and remain in the game shall be treated similarly.
2. In the event that there are only five eligible players remaining and one of these players is injured and must leave the game or is ejected, he must be replaced by the last player who was disqualified by reason of receiving six personal fouls. Each subsequent requirement to replace an injured or ejected player will be treated in this inverse order. Any such re- entry into a game by a disqualified player shall be penalized by a technical foul.
3. In the event that a player leaves the playing court while the ball is in play, play will continue until the next stoppage of play and the player will be replaced if he is not ready to return. No technical foul will be assessed, but the incident will be reviewed by the league office for a possible fine and/or suspension.
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