CHICAGO – Willie Cauley-Stein walked in to the Mavericks’ Monday morning team meeting, in their Chicago hotel, to smiles and hugs from teammates.

Cauley-Stein only has been a Maverick for five weeks, but during and after his nine-day leave of absence due to a death in his family, Cauley-Stein felt the embrace of the entire franchise.

“It’s A1,” he said. “Showing it’s a great organization. Showed a lot of love. Still showing a lot of love. That’s always a good thing to come into.”

Cauley-Stein received the bad news on the night the Mavericks won at Orlando, on February 21, and left the next morning with the team in Atlanta, where they lost to the Hawks that night.

On Monday, with the Mavericks playing the second night of a back-to-back, to finish a six-day, four-game road trip, it might have been more practical to wait and rejoin the team when it returned to Dallas to play three home games this week.

But with Kristaps Porzingis sitting out Monday night, on the second night, Cauley-Stein believed it was important to be in Chicago, in uniform, in case he was needed.

Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle instead turned to Boban Marjanovic for all of the backup center minutes behind Maxi Kleber. Marjanovic scored 14 points and pulled down 12 rebounds in 22 minutes.

With Seth Curry and Jalen Brunson also out with injuries, the Mavericks only suited up 11 players Monday.

Despite the Mavericks’ loss, and his personal emotions of the past nine days, Cauley-Stein was glad to be back.

“Just being around the team, being around the sport and the competition, we’re all gladiators,” he said. “That’s what we’re here for, that’s what we’re born for, for that.

“Anytime you’ve got to step away from that, it’s good to realize what you missed. Being around the guys, and a lot of love.”

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