The brilliance of Luka Doncic has helped the Dallas Mavericks secure a 2-1 lead in their incredible conference semi-final series against the Oklahoma City Thunder. However, the good times were recently cut short as the Slovenian talisman incurred an injury in the process of defending the fortress. This became the latest source of worry for the Mavs fans, with the 25-year-old providing an update on his condition later.
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During the clash, Doncic occasionally struggled to move around comfortably, hinting at the severity of his injuries. Soon after the contest, the Dallas Morning News’s Brad Townsend captured him laboring to even walk around at his usual pace.
Consequently, his health became a key talking point during the post-game press conference. With a desire to pinpoint his injuries, The Smoking Cuban’s Noah Weber asked him which parts of his body were in pain the most.
“Everything,” Doncic responded. Additionally, he mentioned hurting his knee in the last possession while mocking the game referees for refusing to blow the whistle in his favor. As a result, the 6ft 7″ star highlighted the requirement of resting in his recovery ahead of Game 4.
Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic says “everything” is hurting.
He says he hurt his knee again and says he “needs all the rest (he) can get.” pic.twitter.com/swGjV9SgX2
— Noah Weber (@noahweber00) May 11, 2024
Furthermore, he opened up about incurring a fresh back injury while contesting with Luguentz Dort during a possession. However, considering his overall condition, the Mavs guard downplayed the extent of the damage, stating, “[I landed] straight on my back. Right now that’s the least of my problems. That’s just a hit. I’ll get better in two days”.
Luka Doncic on the play that he got injured on when he and Lu Dort were going for the ball:
“(I landed) straight on my back. Right now that’s the least of my problems. That’s just (a) hit. I’ll get better in two days.”
Says the refs need to “call the same fouls on both ends”… pic.twitter.com/dfBZjfNAiL
— Noah Weber (@noahweber00) May 11, 2024
This extended the misery of Doncic in the ongoing playoffs. The 2019 ROTY had been dealing with a sprained right knee throughout the postseason, resulting in an extremely reduced range of motion. In Game 2, this condition only got worse as the swollen knee started to bleed during the clash.
Yet, for the betterment of the team, Doncic pushed through to eventually lead them to a win. Following the game, he shed light on his refusal to give up on the clash, highlighting his competitive mindset. In the post-game conference, he declared,
“I think today was one of the hardest games I had to play. I’m battling out there. I try and do my best to help [the] team win with just my mentality. Have a great start, and then the team’s going to follow me”.
Interestingly, Game 3 followed a similar narrative. Doncic only left the floor after ensuring the victory of his side with his double-double performance. Despite struggling with injuries, the Slovenian did not fail to showcase his excellence, registering 22 points, 15 rebounds, and 5 assists in 40 minutes.
This puts into perspective how invaluable his contributions are to the championship hopes of the Mavs. Thus, fans will likely wish to see him being featured in the vital Game 4 against OKC. As of right now, Doncic’s aim seems to be to make this wish come true, with his comments providing a little hope about his availability.
