Kidd & Odom Out For Mavs Against Clippers
DALLAS (AP) – Dallas Mavericks guard Jason Kidd is expected to miss another four-game stretch because of a strained right groin that had already been bothering him.
The Mavericks were also without forward Lamar Odom for Monday night's game against the Los Angeles Clippers. Coach Rick Carlisle said Odom, who also missed practice Sunday, was out with a stomach illness.
Kidd has played 1,309 regular-season games, the most among active players and 10th on the NBA career list. But the 39-year-old Kidd, who was out for two other four-game stretches this season for different reasons, has been dealing with the groin problem.
"It's something that has been an issue. We've got to get it resolved," coach Rick Carlisle said. "The biggest thing is that we get it identified and get it resolved and we believe this can get resolved."
Carlisle said Kidd likely wouldn't play this week, meaning he would be out at least four games.
Kidd was sidelined in early February because of a strained right calf and missed games in January because of a lower-back injury.
"He hasn't missed a lot of long stretches, but whenever he has this year, a couple of times last year he took two games, rested two games, he always comes back and is able to get back in the flow quickly," Carlisle said. "Somebody with that many years of experience, he understands how to get back into it, and that's a special skill."
Without Kidd, the Mavericks will be depending more on Delonte West, who has been back only two games since missing more than a month (21 games) because of a broken right ring finger.
"There are going to be times he gets it hit," Carlisle said. "He got hit at practice (Sunday) and we had to pull him out of practice. He's going to get stingers. Going forward, it's not like he's all the way."
(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
