In a promising turn of events for Mavs, Maxi Kleber and Kristaps Porzingis are questionable against the Pelicans

Editor’s Note: This story has been updated.

Sunday seemed to start off badly for the Mavericks, when news broke that Maxi Kleber had become the team’s fourth key player to enter the NBA’s “health and safety protocol”, forcing the franchise to shut down its center. training.

But Sunday night’s release of the Day’s Injury Final Report revealed one promising turn of events for the Mavericks and potentially another: Kristaps Porzingis is listed as questionable for Monday’s home game against New Orleans – just like Kleber.

Kleber’s original reports from Sunday said he was facing a 10-14 day absence, but his questionable entry on the injury report indicates that there is uncertainty over his COVID-19 test result.

If Kleber had been listed in the injury report, as was the case with Dorian Finney-Smith, Josh Richardson and Jalen Brunson, he would not have been able to play on Monday. The Mavericks are hoping Kleber’s test result Monday morning will clarify his status and perhaps get him a chance to play.

Porzingis has yet to play this season as he recovers from October surgery to repair a meniscus tear in his right knee, but coach Rick Carlisle indicated after Saturday night’s home win over Orlando that the return of Porzingis was near.

Porzingis injured his knee early in Dallas’ playoff game opener against the Clippers in the bubble. He played the rest of Game 1, as well as Games 2 and 3, but when the discomfort in his knee didn’t subside, he couldn’t make it to the final three games of the series.

Prior to the injury, Porzingis was playing at the All-Star level, averaging 26.7 points, 10.5 rebounds and 46.8% shots in his last 21 regular season games.

In six ranking games in the Disney World campus bubble, Porzingis averaged 30.5 points and 9.5 rebounds and was named First Team All-Seeding Team, along with teammate Luka Doncic.

The return of Porzingis, and potentially Kleber avoiding the long-term absence the Mavericks feared, would be a major boost for a team that has won three straight games to climb above .500 (5-4) for the first time this season but that has been shaken up. By news of the loss of Finney-Smith, Richardson and Brunson on Friday.

Sources said The news that one of those three players has tested positive for COVID-19 and that the other two players continue to test negative but must remain in quarantine for indefinite periods.

On Sunday night, Finney-Smith, Richardson and Brunson were still in Denver, where they learned the status of their health and safety protocol on Friday, a day after the Mavericks beat the Nuggets in overtime.

It’s still unclear when and how the three Mavericks will return from Denver.

“We all face a vast set of circumstances, so we have to stay calm, and we always have to have a plan for adversity,” Carlisle said ahead of Saturday’s win over Orlando. “We expected that sort of thing to be a realistic possibility, and now we’re facing it.”

Kleber on Saturday night played 23 minutes against the Magic, scoring five points and shooting three rebounds. He transferred to the starting lineup last week and started in three straight games, all of which are Mavericks victories.

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