Rick Carlisle, the coach for the Dallas Mavericks team, announced on Friday that he had tested positive for COVID-19 right before the team was set to face New York Knicks. 

Carlisle, who said that he has been vaccinated fully for COVID-19 since January 2021, decided to stay back at the hotel instead of travelling with the team, hoping that it was just a false alarm. However, he spoke to reporters in a virtual manner before the game commenced and announced his test result, reported New York Times.

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The Dallas Mavericks experienced a significant slump in January 2021 as numerous members of the team and management tested positive for COVID-19 and were forced to play without key players. 

After the 61-year-old announced his COVID-19 test result, Jamahl Mosley, who is the assistant coach for the Mavericks, was forced to take over the role temporarily in the game against New York Knicks, reported New York Times.

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The Dallas Mavericks have four games scheduled this week, out of which only two will be played at home. The next game, which is scheduled for April 3, will be against Washington Wizards. After that, the Dallas team will be taking on Utah Jazz, Huston Rockets and Milwaukee Bucks.