Two potential NBA finalists are awaiting results of readed MRI results after each lost a key contributor o an ankle injury on Sunday.
The Cleveland Cavaliers, the reigning Eastern onference champions, are hitting their stride. Coming off Sunday’s win over the Lakers, they have won four straight road games and have won at Dallas and at San Antonio in the past month.
A big part of that resurgence - an Eastern Conference-best 11-3 since Christmas - has been forward/center Anderson Varejao, who is averaging 8.0 points and a team-leading 8.7 rebounds.
However, with 3:12 left in the third period of Sunday’s game in L.A., he suffered a left ankle sprain when he when he accidentally stepped on Lakers guard Sasha Vujacic's foot.
X-rays were negative for a break, but doctors at Staples Center diagnosed Varejao with a Grade-2 sprain, which is a partial tearing of a ligament. He was to see Lakers team doctor Steve Lombardo on Monday and have an MRI to confirm the diagnosis.
It is a low-ankle sprain, not a high-ankle sprain like Varejao suffered his rookie season, costing him 17 games. He is likely going to be out at least a few weeks, however.
'We know he's going to be out a few games,' LeBron James said. 'We're going to need a few guys to step up.'Varejao doesn’t start but is the Cavs’ best interior defender, and the club is 14-9 with him in the lineup this season. Donyell Marshall is likely to see more time in his absence.
Meanwhile, the Dallas Mavericks are also playing well and will go for their fourth straight win Monday night against Memphis.
They will do so without starting point guard Devin Harris, who left Sunday night’s game against Denver with his own sprained ankle and didn’t travel with the team to Memphis.
"It's a bad sprain," Harris said as he left the arena Sunday following the Mavs' 90-85 victory over Denver. "We'll know more when I get re-evaluated."
After a driving layup with 7:53 remaining in the game, Harris crash-landed into several cameramen and immediately grabbed for the same ankle he had sprained against the Lakers on Friday.
Harris said X-rays were negative, but he is also likely to miss significant time.
"We hope to get some good news after the MRI," coach Avery Johnson said.
Harris was in the midst of perhaps his best stretch of the season, averaging 16.2 points and 5.7 assists over the past 11 games.
His absence will likely move Jason Terry back as the starting point guard and increase playing time for second-year player J.J. Barea.
"We have guys that can step in and fill it up," said Josh Howard.
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