Dallas currently is fifth in the Western Conference and has won four straight. The Mavericks are scheduled to host Chicago on Sunday night before hitting the road for a two-game swing.
The last few weeks in the NBA have seen most teams dealing with outbreaks; 11 games have been postponed, while now 13 head coaches, countless other staffers and about one-third of the league’s referees have been sidelined by virus issues.
Recent days have lessened the strain that teams are under. There were about 125 players in the protocols midway through last week, and that number was down to 56 by Thursday evening.