Earl K. Sneed, Mavs.com
From JET to the Jedi
The reigning Sixth Man of the Year is ready to unveil his new look to the NBA world.
Sporting a custom-fitted mask, Dallas Mavericks guard Jason Terry went through his third straight team practice on Tuesday. Terry, who underwent facial surgery on March 5, hasn't played since the final minutes of a 112-109 home win over Minnesota just two days before the procedure. It was in the third quarter of that game that Terry suffered injuries to the left side of his face, catching an elbow from Wolves swingman Corey Brewer square. Now the sharpshooter says he is ready to return to game action on Wednesday night, as the Mavericks welcome in the Chicago Bulls.
"I'm doing good and feeling good," Terry said. "It's a blessing. I got really lucky because I didn't break my nose. I actually just broke my cheek bone."
"(Terry) has always come back (from injuries) earlier than expected. He's a guy that plays hurt and has played with pain a significant number of times," Mavs coach Rick Carlisle said. "Fortunately, the injury was serious but it was a lower timetable than it could have been. It could have been several weeks."
But while Terry will undoubtedly be suiting up again, he is concerned that it will take some time to get back into the flow of playing basketball at full speed. The star reserve has gone through full-contact drills, so the physically doesn't bother him. It's the conditioning of the game may be a factor early on, Terry said.
"Full-out practice today. My conditioning was good. Just being out there was even better...Getting back on the court was the main thing," the veteran added.
The Mavericks' go-to bench scorer, who has averaged 17.0 points in his 62 games played this season, will also try to get back into the groove after coming out of the All-Star break on a tear before the injury. Terry's quick-trigger scoring will be needed during the team's stretch run, so too is the versatile guard's ability to produce automatic offense.
"We're looking forward to him coming off of the bench again, giving us instant offense, explosive scoring, spreading the floor for us and stuff that he's been doing all of his career," forward Dirk Nowitzki said.
Now as Terry prepares to dawn his new head gear, the shooting assassin affectionately known by Dallas fans as "JET" is being called a new nickname by teammates.
"I've heard 'Jedi Warrior,'" Terry joked. "I only plan on wearing it for one game. The doctors say keep it on for the rest of the season. But if I miss my first shot, it might be coming off."
The Mavs may call upon the power of the Jedi when they try to start up a new winning streak, after suffering a 128-94 home loss on Saturday night to the New York Knicks and snapping a 13-game victorious stretch. The final two matchups of a four-game home stand could be the start that the Mavericks desire.
First the squad plays host to the Bulls on Wednesday night, with the game airing locally on KTXA and HD NET at 7:30 p.m. CT. The Mavericks escaped Chicago with a 122-116 road win on March 6.
The home stretch concludes on Saturday night against the Boston Celtics. That game will also appear on KTXA, airing at 8 p.m. CT. The Mavericks went into Boston and handed the Celtics a 99-90 loss on Jan. 18 in the first meeting between the teams. Tickets for both games are still available and can be purchased by calling (214) 747-MAVS.
For up to the minute news on the Dallas Mavericks, visit Mavs.com. Follow Earl K. Sneed on Twitter at http://twitter.com/EarlKSneed.
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