Dirk, Stack and Josh out tonight

Dirk Nowitzki, Jerry Stackhouse and Josh Howard aren’t playing tonight here in Houston. Stackhouse is dealing with a stomach illness. Howard and Nowitzki, to borrow hockey parlance, are healthy scratches. Gana Diop was sent home earlier on the trip with the flu.

So the starting five are Devin Harris, Moe Ager, Darvin Ham, Eddie Jones and Nick Fazekas.

But we do have some good friends back. Mark, Brad and Laura are back after a one-game hiatus to do the game on TXA-21. Chuck and Bob, of course, never take a night off on ESPN 103.3 FM.

Stackhouse was feeling better in the locker room before the game, but it was different story this morning.

“Must have been something I ate last night,” he said. “I felt pretty bad in the a.m. Must have been the oysters. I don’t know if the gulf is really where I want to eat oysters from.”