"The injury situation is getting bleak, but the scene on the floor at The Bradley Center on Saturday night was far, far worse.

When Caron Butler went down -- clutching his right knee before he even landed -- the situation did not look good.

And then it got worse -- far worse than the 99-87 loss the Dallas Mavericks absorbed from the Milwaukee Bucks, their third consecutive setback.

"To watch a teammate go down on the floor and pound the floor like he was, it's just terrible," said Dirk Nowitzki, himself fighting a sprained knee. "We're all just pulling for him now."

That might not be enough. Coach Rick Carlisle termed Butler's injury "potentially serious." Butler stayed in Milwaukee with family -- he grew up in nearby Racine, Wis. -- and will return to Dallas today to be examined by team physician Dr. T.O. Souryal.

Clearly, it does not look like a short-term injury, although nobody was divulging any diagnosis Saturday.

"We're afraid that it's potentially serious, but we won't know anything until Dr. Souryal gets a look at it," Carlisle said. "We'll find out tomorrow where things are at."

The somber attitude in the locker room suggested that the news is bad. Carlisle said Butler's attitude showed through, however, even during the injury."