ORLANDO, Fla. >> Dirk Nowitzki will miss the final three games of the Mavericks’ season after undergoing minor surgery on his left ankle, a team source said.

The No. 6 scorer in NBA history had the procedure this morning. It had been scheduled several days earlier.

The Mavericks confirmed the news in a release, saying Nowitzki “underwent surgical debridement of his left ankle. The surgery was performed by Dr. Eugene Curry and Dr. Daniel Worrel at the Carrell Clinic in Dallas.”

Nowitzki has been remarkably durable during his 20th season, playing 77 of the first 78 games. He was listed as questionable for the Mavericks’ game in Cleveland on Sunday with a left ankle impingement, which is a problem related to bone spurs, something that Nowitzki has had periodic problems with throughout his career in both ankles. He did not accompany the team on the current road trip and missed Wednesday’s game in Orlando.

The surgery should eliminate inflammation in the ankle and ensure that the franchise icon will start his 21st season in October with healthier ankles.

It is not believed that the problem will have any impact on Nowitzki’s decision to return for a 21st season in 2018-19. He still plans to play another season, as he has said is his plan all season.

Nowitzki has maintained since November that he wants to fulfill the second year of the contract he signed last summer, although he’s always left open the option open that retirement could still happen after this season if his body sent him signals that it’s time. He told The Dallas Morning News as early as Dec. 14 on a road trip to Golden State that “it’s looking like” he would return for a 21st season.

“I signed up for, obviously, two years to help the franchise push through (the rebuilding process),” he said in December. “I didn’t think we would be sitting here 10 (games) over .500. I mean, I wasn’t delusional.

“As long as my body feels fine like it has so far, with no setbacks like last year when I missed two months, I’m looking forward to hopefully fulfilling my contract.”

While Nowitzki consistently has said that he intends to return, there are no guarantees he doesn’t wake up one day this summer and change his mind, as remote as that possibility seems to be at the moment.

“In life you never know about anything,” Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle said. “It’s been a great 20 years. I’m praying for a 21st year, but no one knows for sure.”

This has been a difficult season for all of the Mavericks with victories hard to come by.

But for Nowitzki, it’s been a very efficient year, as he averaged 12 points and shot 40.7 percent from 3-point land. That’s the fourth-best 3-point percentage in any of his 20 seasons.

Even with the pain in his ankle, Nowitzki had 14 points in Tuesday’s win over Portland.

Nowitzki eclipsed Robert Parish and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar by playing his 75th game in his 20th season on Sunday. Nobody else had played more than 74 games in their 20th season in the league.