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SAN ANTONIO -- Dallas Mavericks point guard Jason Kidd injured his lower back in the first quarter of Thursday's 93-71 loss to the San Antonio Spurs. Kidd will be examined Friday in Dallas and his status for Saturday's game is uncertain.

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"We'll see where we are," coach Rick Carlisle said. "It happened on a play and I don't know which one, but it definitely happened on a play."

The injury apparently occurred toward the end of the first quarter, but Kidd tried to fight through it. He could be seen reaching for his back a few times before finally exiting the game with 24.7 seconds left in the first.

He headed straight to the locker room with head athletic trainer Casey Smith and did not return.

Kidd left with no points, three assists and two rebounds, and with Dallas trailing, 31-17. He was not in the locker room after the game and was not available to comment.

Without the 18-year point guard in the lineup for the final three quarters, Jason Terry, Delonte West and Rodrigue Beaubois shared the duties.

The Mavs, who fell to 3-5 after Thursday's third blowout loss of the season, play the New Orleans Hornets at home on Saturday. Kidd, 38, has been incredibly durable, playing at least 80 games in each of the last six seasons.

"He's our floor general out there," Dirk Nowitzki said. "Even those games we won, he didn't really have a big scoring night or a game where he's been on fire, but just his leadership, him running the floor, running the ball out there, it's very important to us. If he's out we just have to get it done somehow.

"Just got to fight through it, but it's definitely tough out there without your floor leader."

Entering Thursday's game, Kidd was averaging 5.6 points, 4.7 assists and 4.0 rebounds.

Jeff Caplan covers the Mavericks for ESPNDallas.com.

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Jeff Caplan

ESPNDallas.com

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Jeff Caplan joined ESPNDallas.com in December 2009. Jeff covers the Mavericks, Rangers and colleges. He has a wealth of experience in the area, covering multiple beats in his 11-plus years with the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.