What happened to Dwight Powell? Mavericks' injury curse continues as veteran forward exits game

The Dallas Mavericks recently welcomed Kyrie Irving back to their lineup, but injuries struck again as big man Dwight Powell went down during their home game against the OKC Thunder on Friday. This followed guard Jaden Hardy also exiting the game due to injury.

While defending Jaylin Williams, Powell closed out on a pump fake. As Williams drove, Powell slipped, fell awkwardly and remained on the floor for a considerable time before being helped off.

Minutes later, the Mavericks announced that Powell was ruled out for the rest of the game with a right hip injury.

Earlier in the game, Jaden Hardy collided with Thunder guard Isaiah Joe during the second quarter. He also exited, and the Mavericks later revealed he would not return due to a right ankle sprain.

These injuries further deplete the Mavericks’ depth in both the frontcourt and backcourt, with Dereck Lively, Luka Doncic and Dante Exum already sidelined.

Before leaving the game, Powell had two points in nearly five minutes, while Hardy missed his lone field goal attempt.

When will Luka Doncic return for the Mavericks?

Entering Friday’s game, the Mavericks had won just three of their 11 games without Luka Doncic since his left calf strain on Christmas Day. This stretch included losses to struggling Western Conference teams like the Portland Trail Blazers and New Orleans Pelicans.

To break out of their slump and contend in the highly competitive West, the Mavericks need Doncic back. According to Jared Greenberg, the team expects him to return before the All-Star break.

Before his injury, Doncic was averaging 28.1 points, 8.3 rebounds and 7.8 assists per game, helping the Mavericks secure 17 wins in their first 29 games. However, he missed eight games during that span.

Unfortunately, Doncic is already ineligible for postseason awards, a disappointment given that he was considered a strong MVP candidate earlier in the season.

Despite this, head coach Jason Kidd believes the league’s rules are fair. Per Noah Weber of The Smoking Cuban, Kidd said:

“It's fair because the league made the rules. We'll play by the rules.”

“Unfortunately, he isn't eligible to win MVP, but it's a team sport and understanding that we need him back to win the championship and so understanding that the individual awards will come, but we're playing to win a championship, and hopefully, we can get him back soon."

Doncic is scheduled to be reevaluated later this month.