Some notable Mavs injuries:
Dirk, Josh iffy
Avery Johnson watched Dirk Nowitzki and Josh Howard walk gingerly through Friday's shootaround and couldn't pronounce either one of them a guaranteed "go'' for tonight's game against New York.
Both tweaked ankles against Milwaukee on Wednesday.
"I like to err on the side of caution,'' Johnson said. "There were some situations last year when guys could have come back a game or two sooner, but I held them out. If I see any sort of danger _ any type of danger _ the guy's not going to play.
"At the end of the day, I want to have this team mentally and physically ready for the playoffs. And I thought we did a pretty good job of that last year.''
Johnson said both players would be re-evaluated before the game to see if, and how much, they might play.
The game could be significant for Nowitzki in many ways. His next point will put him at 15,000 for his career. Plus, the large traveling contingent of New York media members (read: MVP voters) might be looking for a favorable late-season impression from Nowitzki.