Down to seven healthy players, Mavericks fall to Suns - ESPN

DALLAS — With a bandage over his left eye, Kessler Edwards returned from the locker room and headed to the scorer's table to check back into Sunday afternoon's game for the Dallas Mavericks with 6:05 remaining in the fourth quarter.

That was the last substitution that Mavericks coach Jason Kidd made in a 125-116 loss to the Phoenix Suns, primarily because he didn't have any choice.

The injury-ravaged Mavericks entered the game with only nine available players, three of whom suffered injuries Sunday afternoon, including two on the same play when Edwards and center Dwight Powell collided heads while chasing a rebound. Powell, who received seven stitches to close a gash in his forehead, and guard Brandon Williams (hamstring tightness) didn't return.

Guard Dante Exum and forward Caleb Martin weren't available after the midway point of the fourth quarter because they are on minutes restrictions after recently returning from extended injury absences.

«Never seen this,» Kidd said. «Never been in a game where we could not take someone out to rest them because we had no one to put in. At the end of the bench, usually you can put someone in. If they were not in [street] clothes, they were in the back getting stitches or could not move or walk. It's tough. It is what it is, though. You've got to keep pushing forward.»

Powell told ESPN he expects to be available for the second game of the Mavericks' back-to-back set in San Antonio on Monday. That would allow Dallas to field an active roster with the league-minimum eight players.

Kidd said he anticipates Williams, a guard on a two-way deal who started Sunday, will miss some time and that none of the players who were inactive against the Suns are expected to be available Monday night.