National Basketball Association

Mavericks' Nowitzki sits out against Pelicans

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 8:23 p.m. ET

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DALLAS (AP) Dirk Nowitzki sat out the Dallas Mavericks' game against the New Orleans Pelicans on Sunday night.

Nowitzki has played in only five of Dallas' 15 games this season because of a strained right Achilles tendon. He had played in the Mavericks' two most recent games.

''He's out,'' Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle said. ''This is part of the recovery. Getting him better is going to have to take it incrementally. It's not as if there was any great setback. It's not the right thing to play him tonight.''

Carlisle said Dallas' lineup against New Orleans would include guard Deron Williams. He missed seven of the first 14 games because of a strained left calf but did play nearly 15 minutes on Friday at Cleveland.

''I think there's a chance he'll play into the second half tonight,'' Carlisle said.