Mavs' Porzingis has knee surgery after injury in playoffs

Dallas Mavericks forward Kristaps Porzingis had surgery to address a lateral meniscus injury in his right knee, and team said Friday re was timetable for a return.

7-foot-3 Latvian injured knee in opener of a first-round playoff series against Los Angeles Clippers in August. Porzingis played next two games before being sidelined remainder of a series won in six games by Clippers.

Mavericks ended a three-year run of missing playoffs behind European pairing of Porzingis and 21-year-old sensation Luka Doncic.

It isn't clear when NBA training camps will start because of pandemic, but Commissioner Adam Silver has said he doesn't expect next season to begin before January.

Porzingis averd 20.4 points and 9.5 rebounds in his first season with Dallas. He missed all of 2018-19 after tearing anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee in what ended up being his final game with New York Knicks in February 2018.

Mavericks acquired Porzingis in a seven-player deal before trading deadline in 2019 and immediately said he wouldn't play rest of that season. He signed a $158 million, five-year max contract with Dallas in July 2019.

Im credits: AP