The Dallas Mavericks currently hold the momentum against the Oklahoma City Thunder after inspired performances from Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving, and PJ Washington. Having a 2-1 lead with Game 4 still being played at the American Airlines Center is great news for a Mavericks team that wants to finish things up in five games.
However, things will become trickier for the Mavericks as injuries continue to affect their franchise player. Doncic is reportedly still nursing an injury that can hamper his performance in their next two games against the Thunder.
Doncic knows how important that he is at 100% if they’re going to swiftly take down Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the rest of the Thunder in five games. His status will determine if they can finish the series in five or be in another long battle with a young, hungry team.
Luka Doncic is listed as questionable for the Dallas Mavericks ahead of Game 4
Doncic was listed as questionable coming into Game 3 as he was dealing with right knee sprain and left ankle soreness. However, he still played 40 minutes to help the Mavericks barely edge the Thunder.
ESPN’s Tim McMahon then reported that Doncic is also listed as questionable coming into Game 4:
As was the case before Game 3, the Mavs list Luka Doncic as questionable for Game 4 due to his right knee sprain and left ankle soreness.
— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) May 12, 2024
The Spun’s Andrew Gould wrote about Luka’s thoughts on his condition after a grueling 40 minutes against a springy Thunder side that don’t have much when it comes to injuries:
Doncic posted 22 points, 15 rebounds, and five assists in a 105-101 victory to give Dallas a 2-1 series lead. When asked what hurt after Game 3, Doncic replied, “Everything.”
“I’m just trying to battle out there,” he told reporters, per the team’s site. “I’m glad we got the win.”
Doncic is having another solid postseason for the Mavericks. He’s averaging 27.7 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 8.7 assists. His scoring is lower than last season because he’s shooting at a lower clip of 41.0/26.4/78.3%.
Mavs fans know that Luka Magic will force himself to play if he can walk, and they’ll need him to get a definitive 3-1 series advantage over OKC. He’ll likely agree with what Kyrie said about playing under exhausting conditions.
However, they also pray that their star man’s injuries don’t aggravate in the process.
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