NBA All-Star starter Luka Doncic played just three minutes in the Dallas Mavericks’ 99-95 win over the Phoenix Suns two nights ago. He will be in street clothes for tonight’s game against the Utah Jazz in Salt Lake City.
“Luka Legend” has been mostly healthy this season, missing just five of the Mavericks’ 50 games. They will miss their sixth when they take on the Jazz.
Before the unfortunate injury, Dončić played without playing this season. He is averaging 33.0 career points, second best in the NBA, along with 8.9 rebounds, 8.4 assists and 1.5 steals. This season, Dončić is the only player with an average of at least 30 points, eight rebounds and eight assists.
Despite his incredible performances, Dallas is just 3-7 in their last 10 games, dropping them to sixth place in the Western Conference.
Josh Green is expected to get more minutes as Doncic watches from the sidelines tonight.
What is Luka Dončić’s status for tonight’s game against the Utah Jazz?
Luka Dončić has been officially ruled out of the Dallas Mavericks due to a sprained left ankle. He got injured just three minutes into the game against the Phoenix Suns. For the Slovenian, it was the first time in his career that he did not score in an NBA game.
Mavericks fans were initially concerned that the now four-time NBA All-Star suffered more than just a sprained ankle. His status going forward will be day-to-day, which means the injury is not as serious as many thought.
Dallas is in a fierce battle for a spot in the playoffs. Losing Dončić for an extended period of time would be a serious blow to their postseason aspirations.
After the victory over the Suns, Spencer Dinwiddie could not hide his disappointment with Dončić’s injury and expressed the team’s hope that he will get him soon.
When is Luka Dončić coming back?
The Dallas Mavericks have not set a specific schedule for Luka Dončić’s return to action. At the very least, he’ll miss a few more games as the team wants him fully healthy. They can’t afford him to play through injury because it could compromise them down the road.
Doncic’s day-to-day status gives hope that he will return faster than originally expected. He limped badly when he went to the locker room during a Suns game. “Luka Legend” may be available next week.
Dallas will surely struggle as they wait for their leader to readjust. The committee will have to replace his production. Spencer Dinwiddie carried the team against the Suns on the road, which is a good sign that someone will step up.
Jason Kidd will need everyone on his team to step up as “Luka Magic” recovers from a sprained ankle.