NBA Notes: Bucks, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Mavericks, Ryan Nembhard, Pacers

Bucks

Giannis Antetokounmpo is expected to miss two to four weeks with his right calf strain, per Shams Charania of ESPN.

The injury happened Wednesday against the Pistons after Antetokounmpo slipped and stayed on the floor until coach Doc Rivers called timeout. Eric Nehm of The Athletic noted that Antetokounmpo eventually walked off on his own, tried to sit on the bench again, then limped to the locker room for good.

The timing hit on the same day ESPN reported Antetokounmpo had opened a dialogue with the team about whether he would stay in Milwaukee long term or work with the Bucks to find a trade destination.

The Bucks will run more imaging to confirm the severity of the strain, but the early expectation is a multi-week absence.

Mavericks

Dallas finally might have found an answer at point guard while Kyrie Irving recovers. Jason Kidd cycled through Cooper Flagg, D’Angelo Russell and Brandon Williams early on. None of it stuck.

Then Ryan Nembhard stepped in. As Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News wrote, the rookie on a two-way deal has started the past four games, and the Mavs have won three.

He has averaged 17 points and 7.5 assists while shooting 65 percent from the field and nearly 67 percent from deep.

The Mavs shared the historical context themselves. Nembhard is the first undrafted rookie ever to post back-to-back games with at least 15 points and 10 assists. He is also the first rookie since turnovers were tracked to deliver a two-game stretch of at least 40 points, 20 assists and no more than one turnover.

Veterans love him already. Anthony Davis said Nembhard constantly communicates through possessions.

“There’s been times where he’s talking to me in the middle of a play. ‘AD, roll right here.’ He’s taking big strides,” Davis said. “I don’t know if he’s gonna be a two-way too much longer. All the guys love playing with him. He makes the right plays.”

The roster mechanics are a little more complicated. Dallas cannot waive the injured Dante Exum yet because of how close they are to the second apron.

Promoting Nembhard today would leave only about $12,000 in breathing room. His cap number drops in early January, giving the team a more realistic path at that point.

For now, the Mavs can keep playing him since he is only at 16 of the allowed 50 active games.

“I’ll let my agents and everybody figure that out,” Nembhard told Brad Townsend of the Dallas Morning News. “If I go on the court and handle business and do my job, that will take care of itself. I’m just trying to win games and enjoy hooping.”

Pacers

Garrison Mathews admitted he was “a little surprised” the Pacers brought him back on a second 10-day contract after he shot 2-of-13 from deep and went scoreless in four of five games, as relayed by Dustin Dopirak of the Indianapolis Star.

But coach Rick Carlisle said the team believed his work would eventually show up. It did this week. Mathews scored 24 points on 6-of-7 shooting across the Cleveland and Denver games.

The Pacers also got Johnny Furphy back after a month on the sideline with an ankle sprain. He did not make much of an impact against Denver, but Carlisle said he liked having another option in the rotation.

“He brings a different element,” Carlisle said, per Dopirak. “We need all the depth we can get.”