Sterling Brown in health and safety protocols

Dallas Mavericks small forward Sterling Brown entered the NBA’s health and safety protocols on Friday morning.

Obviously, no one knows for sure how long Brown will be sidelined. But coach Jason Kidd said Brown wouldn’t be flying back to Dallas on the team’s charter.

Brown became the 12^th member of the Mavs to enter the health and safety protocols this season. And those players have missed a total of 61 games after testing positive for COVID-19.

“That’s just part of the world now is Covid, right?,” Kidd rhetorically asked. “When it happens you move forward. Next guy up.”

Brown is the first Mavs’ player in the health and safety protocols since former forward Kristaps Porzingis sat out six games because of it from Jan. 3-14. Other Mavs’ players who missed at least five games this season while in the health and safety protocols include Trey Burke (10), JaQuori McLaughlin (seven), Tim Hardaway Jr. (six), Maxi Kleber (six) and Boban Marjanovic (six), Reggie Bullock (five) and Luka Doncic (five).

The Mavs are hopeful Brown’s entry into the health and safety protocols is an isolated incident.

“You just hope that it doesn’t spread throughout the team here late in the season,” Kidd said. “But we have to be prepared that something like this could happen going forward.”

BEVERLEY TRASH TALKING: That trash talking which Minnesota guard Patrick Beverley is legendary known for? Coach Jason Kidd said that’s just part of the game.

“Bev is going to always talk,” Kidd said. “That’s who he is. He does it at a very high level and has success with it.

“There’s certain times when people will have a conversation, sometimes it’s heated, sometimes it’s under control. But there’s nothing really to address there.”

Despite his constant chatter and ways of getting under opponents’ skin with the manner in which he creates mayhem, Beverley, according to Finch, is one of his players who calms his teammates down when things tend to get out of sorts.

“As crazy as it may sound, Patrick does a good job of that, even though he’s probably out there in the middle of the mayhem,” Finch said. “There’s a lot of guys that are able to do it.

“Again, it’s something we have to get better at. It’s part of maturing.”

BRIEFLY:  Mavs superstar point guard Luka Doncic picked up technical foul No. 15 of the season Friday when he and Timberwolves forward Taurean Prince exchanged words at the conclusion of the third quarter. If Doncic receives one more technical foul, under NBA rules, the four-year veteran will have to automatically sit out one game. . .Here’s coach Jason Kidd’s explanation on when he decides to use his coach’s challenge. “I’ve used it in the past sometimes, especially if we’re getting blown out early to just try to change the momentum — knowing I’m going to lose the challenge,” Kidd said. “But you’ve got to sometimes try to change up everything, change the flow of the game. The last couple of times I’ve used it wisely and they’ve helped us win games. As we move closer to the playoffs I’m not going to freely just call a challenge just to change the momentum. But this is a dress rehearsal for not just the player, but coaches too.” Kidd used his coach’s challenge Friday with 6:30 remaining in the third quarter and the Mavs behind, 70-55. On the play, Dwight Powell was whistled for his fifth foul when he collided with Patrick Beverley. Kidd’s challenge was unsuccessful. . .The Timberwolves went into Friday’s game first in the NBA in pace (101.3 ppg), while the Mavs were last in pace (95.6 ppg). . .On guarding Mavs superstar Luka Doncic, Timberwolves coach Chris Finch said: “Given the fact that the way our roster is built, we try to use multiple guys on guys like Luka anyway. He and many guys like him in the league is just a handful physically to play all night long no matter how you’re wired to compete.”. .Mavs center Boban Marjanovic made a rare appearance Friday. In playing the last six minutes of the game, this was only Marjanovic’s fourth appearance in the Mavs’ last 41 games. He finished with five points, one rebound and one blocked shot while going 1-of-2 from the field. . .In addition to Sterling Brown (health and safety protocols), Trey Burke (non-Covid-related illness), Dāvis Bertāns (right knee soreness), Tim Hardaway Jr. (left foot surgery) and Theo Pinson (right fifth finger fracture) also missed Friday’s game.

Twitter: @DwainPrice