National Basketball Association

Butler returns to Mavs lineup

Published Feb. 28, 2010 9:45 p.m. ET

foxsports

Caron Butler is back in the Dallas Mavericks lineup.

Butler had missed the past two games after a bad reaction to medication before returning to the starting lineup Sunday night against the New Orleans Hornets, who were again without All-Star guard Chris Paul.

Paul missed his 14th game because of a left knee injury and could miss another week to three weeks. Hornets coach Jeff Bower says Paul is still out ``indefinitely'' but is making encouraging progress.

Butler played in his sixth game for Dallas since coming from Washington as part of a seven-player trade during the All-Star break. DeShawn Stevenson, who also came in that deal, had started in Butler's place the past two games.