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Dropped Weight? Mavs 'Worried' About Naji Marshall Illness
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- Dropped Weight? Mavs 'Worried' About Naji Marshall Illness
The Dallas Mavericks got 68 combined points from Kyrie Irving and Cooper Flagg in Friday's win over the Houston Rockets.
One player who was available in the box score but did not see the floor, was Naji Marshall, the all-around wing that brings defensive nastiness and a sharp game offensively.
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Marshall, it appears, is dealing with an illness that the Mavs are taking seriously.
"He hasn't practiced, and we were worried, illness. I think he probably looks like he's dropped weight. He hasn't practiced yet," Dallas coach Dusty May said postgame on Friday. "And just we thought if we could get through this one without him, and he's got two days to get his body back right, get his conditioning, and then be ready to play well Monday. We needed him tonight."
Without Marshall for a third straight game, Dallas was able to hand Houston its first loss of the season by coming back from a double-digit deficit in the second half.
"It was a tough decision not to throw him out there, but we just thought for our team and for him, just give it until Monday," May added.
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No further details have been reported about Marshall's timetable for return, but his concern is warranted as he previously dealt with an illness that similarly caused him to drop a few pounds back when he first joined the Mavericks over two seasons ago. He missed 12 games with "illness" listed as the designation during Dallas' 2024-25 season.
In 2025-26, Marshall was inactive with an illness for four of the eight games he was sidelined.
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This season, Marshall has averaged 13.7 points, 3.3 rebounds, 5.7 assists and 1.7 steals per game, playing in the first three games of the year.
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With Marshall's spot open on the wing, Mavs newcomer Zaccharie Risacher put his patented speed and versatility on display to impact the game.
"I think the practices that we've had, preseason that we had, I can't necessarily use the word surprised like everyone else. In terms of his effort and what he's been able to do, he's right on track in terms of being a young player in this league and establishing himself and really proving himself," Irving said about Risacher, who had 12 points, six rebounds, three assists and three steals against Houston in 28 minutes off the bench.
"It's tough being a number one pick and having the franchise pressure on you and then now being in a new environment and having to develop or accept a new role," Irving added about Risacher after he was traded from Atlanta to Dallas this offseason. "And I think he's done it fabulously."
The Mavericks are off this weekend and next play host to the winless Sacramento Kings on Monday.
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Along with Marshall, we'll be sure to keep an eye on the injury report for Santi Aldama (knee), who is reportedly nearing a return, Tarik Biberovic (heel) and Sergio de Larrea (knee), whose statuses will be evaluated in the coming days.
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