Dirk Nowitzki sat out the second half against the Kings

Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY SportsAfter getting the start for the twelfth time this season, Dirk Nowitzki didn’t see any action in the second half of Tuesday night’s 125-121 loss to the Sacramento Kings. After struggling though a lingering left ankle injury for the first part of the season, his absence could have been concerning for the Dallas Mavericks’ 40-year-old icon. Fortunately, the reason Nowitzki sat was for strategic reasons.

“At halftime, [Nowitzki] actually said he would prefer to come back in off the bench, pending what the matchup was going to be,” head coach Rick Carlisle said after the game. “It was tough when they didn’t bring [Kosta] Koufos back, it was a tough deal. I was…