Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle tests positive for COVID-19, misses game against Knicks

Dallas Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle missed Friday’s game at the New York Knicks after testing positive for COVID-19 during the morning.

Carlisle says he has been fully vaccinated since January and wasn’t experiencing any symptoms. The 61-year-old hoped it was a false positive and he would still be able to coach against New York.

The official word that Carlisle was out came just a few minutes before tipoff. Assistant Jamahl Mosley filled in.

Carlisle’s next game will be his 1,500th in the regular season as a head coach.

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After the positive test, Carlisle stayed behind at the team hotel. He met virtually with reporters about an hour before the game to announce the positive test while revealing publicly for the first time that he is vaccinated.

The Mavericks were hit hard by COVID-19 in January, with as many as four rotation players sidelined at the same time. The club’s record suffered as a result, but Dallas entered the New York game 17-8 since being a season-high five games under .500 in early February.