Dallas Mavericks' forward Shawn Marion is expected to return to the team's lineup on Friday, according to ESPN Dallas writer Tim MacMahon. The Mavericks play on the road tonight against the Indiana Pacers.
Marion sprained his MCL on Nov. 5 against the Portland Trail Blazers. The forward suffered the injury midway through the third quarter, and missed the final quarter and a half.
Marion also missed the Mavericks' last five games. Dallas went 2-3 over that stretch, winning games against the Toronto Raptors and the Washington Wizards, but falling to the New York Knicks, Charlotte Bobcats and Minnesota Timberwolves. Dallas is 5-4 overall this season.
The 13-year veteran out of UNLV has stayed healthy so far during his career with the Mavericks. Marion only missed 12 games in the previous three seasons for Dallas. Injury issues did plague Marion while he played for the Miami Heat, Phoenix Suns and the Raptors, as the forward missed 32 games in two seasons.
This post originally appeared on SB Nation.