--G/F Devean George could be headed toward surgery. He suffered cartilage damage in his right knee when he was on a fast break and fouled -- cleanly -- by Portland guard Steve Blake.

George immediately came up gimpy. After he shot two free throws, making one of two, he exited the game and headed straight for the locker room with trainer Casey Smith.

George's injury leaves the Mavs critically short at small forward. Josh Howard is recovering from a nagging left ankle sprain and Jerry Stackhouse is still on the comeback trail from a right heel injury that's kept him out since mid-November.

"All the sudden we're thinner than we were," Mavs coach Rick Carlisle said. "But we've got Gerald (Green) and James Singleton, who's played some three for us, so we're going to have to make it work."

--F Josh Howard is now the subject of talk-radio debates whether the team is better with or without him.

Consecutive wins at Phoenix and Portland, the first real optimism created by the team this season, spurred the discussion. Reality resurfaced Friday at Golden State. Despite 20-plus points from Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Terry and Jason Kidd, who had a triple-double, the Mavs still couldn't outscore the Warriors.

It's easy to dismiss Howard's 18.0-point scoring average and 37-percent three-point shooting, but in a game like Friday's against the Warriors, the Mavs could have used him.

Howard was at least back with the team at Golden State after several medical examinations of his ailing left ankle. They could certainly use him on Sunday against the Lakers. His status is uncertain.

MEDICAL WATCH:

--F Josh Howard (left ankle) is questionable for Sunday's game at the Lakers.

--G-F Jerry Stackhouse (right heel) is questionable for Sunday's game at the Lakers.

--G/F Devean George (right knee) is out.