National Basketball Association

Mavs starter Terry needs surgery after elbow to face

Published Mar. 4, 2010 12:00 a.m. ET

foxsports

Dallas Mavericks guard Jason Terry is scheduled to have surgery Friday after taking an elbow to the face during a game. The team said a timetable for Terry's return would be determined after the surgery.

Terry's left eye was nearly swollen shut when he left the Dallas locker room after Wednesday night's 112-109 victory over Minnesota.

Terry was hurt with 4 1/2 minutes left in the third quarter. He was called for a foul even though he was sprawled on his back with a bloody nose after took a blow to the face from Corey Brewer, who was dribbling toward midcourt when they collided.

After remaining on the floor for several minutes, Terry went to the locker room briefly. He was back in the game before the end of the third quarter and played the rest of the game with a wad of tissue stick out of his left nostril.

Terry, the only Mavericks player who has appeared in all 62 games this season, scored seven of his 26 points after getting hurt. He had a 3-pointer right before Dallas took the lead for good in the fourth quarter, then later stole the ball from Brewer and had a fast-break dunk.

Terry has averaged 17 points, 3.8 assists and 1.2 steals a game for the Mavericks, primarily as their first player on the bench. Terry last season won the NBA sixth man award that goes to the league's top reserve.

Dallas is home Friday against Sacramento, the first of three games in a four-day stretch.

Brewer was unavailable for comment after Thursday's practice in Minnesota, but Timberwolves coach Kurt Rambis said he was sorry to hear about Terry's injury.

"It was completely inadvertent. There wasn't anything malicious to what Corey did. That's what the referees saw too," Rambis said. "That's unfortunate for Jason. That's unfortunate for the Mavericks as well."